LAS VEGAS —The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced an update to its policy as regards cooperating with ICE in response to the passage of the Laken Riley Act, according to a post on X.
The department initially stated reaffirmed in the post that its officers would “not enforce immigration violations,” specifying that it would not detain, arrest or place an immigration hold on an individual on the grounds that they are an undocumented immigrant.
“It is the policy of this department to recognize the dignity of all persons, regardless of their national origin or immigration status,” the updated statement reads. “…LVMPD is committed to community-oriented policing as a strategy that focuses on developing relationships with community members regardless of the immigration status of a suspect or victim.”
What is the Laken Riley Act?
President Donald Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law on Jan. 29, mandating that federal authorities detain undocumented immigrants accused of crimes, including certain misdemeanors, with the possibility of deportation before conviction, WFTS reported.
“This is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together, that’s not easy to do,” Trump said at the signing.
The law is named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student killed near her Georgia college campus by an undocumented immigrant with prior arrests, according to the report.
LVMPD’s updated policy
In response to the law’s passage, LVMPD has updated its policy to expand the list of charges against migrants that must be reported to ICE, according to the post. The updated statement reiterates that the department will not delay the release of an inmate for ICE, but will honor federal judicial warrants.
“When a foreign-born individual is arrested and charged with a violent felony, domestic violence, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary, theft, larceny, petit larceny and/or assault on a law enforcement officer, the Detention Services Division (DSD) will notify ICE at the time of both booking and release,” the statement reads.
The previous policy did not include any of the theft or larceny charges or the assault on a law enforcement charge on the list, KLAS reported.
