Police across the US worry officers are being misidentified as ICE, records show

Exclusive: Emails and internal memos reveal concerns immigration enforcement is interfering with police work

Law enforcement and local government officials across the US have over the last year expressed concerns that https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration">immigration operations were interfering with police work and leading to threats to officers, according to internal emails and briefings shared with the Guardian.

The development comes as the US public has become https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/feb/09/minnesota-ice-immigration-deportation-raids">afraid and https://www.foxla.com/news/fontana-police-officers-misidentified-ice-agents">distrustful of officers in their communities due to the Trump administration’s aggressive and at times https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/13/ice-agent-court-testimony-oregon">indiscriminate immigration crackdown.