Branson Police Chief Eric Schmitt discussed the ramifications of the recently approved agreement between the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In an interview with Ozarks First, Schmitt says the goal of the contract is to give trained Branson Police Officers authority to handle certain immigration issues including arresting illegal immigrants. Schmitt says certain officers will go through ICE Certification Training to be prepared for those situations. Schitt says the agreement does not require the department to seek out illegals and the focus for his department would be to continue to handle criminal situations and this training gives his officers more authority if they are discovered to be illegals.
Nearly four dozen agencies across the state have similar agreements with ICE including the Missouri State Highway Patrol along with several lakes area agencies including the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Crane, Merriam Woods, and Reeds Spring.
The full story can be found on the Ozarks First Website.
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