BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore’s police commissioner has taken exception to questions from the U.S. Department of Justice that appear to link participation in a crime-fighting program to immigration policies.
In a letter dated Monday, Kevin Davis says he received a letter on Aug. 2 from the Justice Department saying Baltimore meets the requirements for a federal training and technology assistance program to address violent crime.
The letter asks about the police department’s policies on cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security regarding people in city detention who might be in the United States illegally.
Davis, in his response, points out that detention facilities in Baltimore are controlled by the state of Maryland.
But he also says tying Baltimore’s eligibility to the program to immigration policies sends the wrong message to immigrant communities.
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