Police and Immigrants in the Age of the Coronavirus

Five police chiefs spoke with the Police Executive Research Forum about their efforts to ensure immigrants receive their public health messages, including disseminating information in multiple languages and reassuring immigrant communities that the police are focused on health and safety — not immigration enforcement.

“Because of the ugly spirit of the debate that’s going on at the national level … we had to make even more concerted efforts to build trust with this segment of our population, so they wouldn’t be afraid to come forward when they’re victims of domestic violence or some other crime, or a witness to some violent crime,” said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. That has meant providing hundreds of masks to immigrants, who had been afraid to go to mask giveaways or even food giveaways because of their status.

KJ