Immigration Facts

Statement on Community Safety and Immigration Enforcement

Mesa is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive community for all who live, work and visit our city. Ensuring public safety is the Mesa Police Department’s top priority, and we are dedicated to protecting every member of our community—regardless of their immigration status.

Mesa takes a measured and balanced approach to immigration enforcement. Our participation in the federal 287(g) Jail Enforcement program is limited and narrowly defined. Under this agreement:

  • 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model applies only to individuals who have already been arrested for a criminal offense and are booked into the Mesa Police Holding Facility.
  • Mesa Police do not enforce immigration laws in the community or during patrol activities.
  • The agreement clearly defines our role and limits our involvement to our holding facility operations.

The 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model agreement clearly defines the scope of Mesa PD’s role and responsibilities, ensuring that our participation is limited and transparent.

We understand that victims and witnesses of crime must feel safe coming forward. When appropriate, the Mesa Police Department will certify U-Visa applications—an important step in helping non-citizen victims of crime seek protection and justice without fear. We encourage anyone who is a victim of or witness to a crime to notify police.

We remain committed to balancing effective law enforcement with compassion, fairness, and respect for the diverse communities we serve.

What is U-Visa?

A U-Visa is a non-citizen visa offered by the United States to immigrants who qualify as victims of certain serious crimes and are willing to assist law enforcement or government officials in the investigation and/or prosecution of the criminal activity.

The U-Visa provides eligible individuals with temporary legal status and work authorization in the United States. Later, they may be able to apply for a green card to stay permanently. It is designed to encourage cooperation with authorities while protecting vulnerable victims.

Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status

 

Informational Blog

The Mesa Police Department’s Involvement with the 287 (g) Jail Enforcement Model Program

The 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model serves as an immigration enforcement partnership with state and local law enforcement agencies.

On November 19, 2009, the Mesa Police Department (MPD) signed the first 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and it has remained unchanged since, despite changes in immigration enforcement policy by subsequent republican and democratic administrations. The current 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model MOA went into effect on June 8, 2020, and will remain in effect until either party terminates or suspends the agreement.

Why discuss 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model now, years after the agreement went into effect?

We discuss it now because there is a lot of misinformation circulating about what Mesa Police Department does and doesn’t do regarding immigration and the 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model program.

Mesa police officers do not actively search for and/or arrest immigrants who may be undocumented, nor do they randomly ask anyone about their legal status. The 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model only applies to individuals who have been arrested for a criminal offense and are in the Mesa Police holding facility.

Mesa’s 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model ONLY targets criminals

Enforcement of Mesa's 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model agreement is strictly limited to individuals who have already been arrested and charged with a crime and operates only within the Mesa Police Department’s holding facility. This means immigration screenings only occur after someone has committed a criminal offense and has been booked into Mesa’s custody through the regular criminal justice process.

The program does not target law-abiding community members or conduct community sweeps - it exclusively focuses on individuals already in custody for criminal activity.

Community Safety is the Top Priority

 Mesa Police Department’s role is to ensure the safety of all residents. Changing the focus of Mesa Police from public safety to immigration advocacy would ultimately harm our community. Mesa deserves a police department that can thoroughly investigate crimes and follow the law without restrictions that may prevent it from protecting the community; therefore, rest assured, Mesa Police will NOT ask about the immigration status of victims or witnesses of crimes. In fact, we support non-citizen victims of crime through the difficult justice process in appropriate situations by certifying applications for the U-Visa program. This program ensures protection and justice for these individuals without fear.

We encourage all community members to cooperate with law enforcement for the overall safety of everyone in the city of Mesa.

In conclusion, while 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model may sound alarming at first, the program has been successful in identifying gang members, sex offenders, and murderers. These offenders are taken into ICE custody after serving their criminal sentences and then removed from our community.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detainer Booking Stats

Releases to Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)

 

The total number of ICE detainers includes people identified under the 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model.

 

 

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