29-01-2025
Ask the RGJ: Will Reno, Sparks, Washoe officers help enforce ICE deportations?
Question: Will the Reno and Sparks police departments or the Washoe County Sheriff's Office help with the federal enforcement of migrant deportations?
Short Answer: No, unless U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the federal government asks them for assistance.
Full answer:
President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders last week on immigration, and the Justice Department vowed to investigate state and local officials who hinder the enforcement process.
Roughly 184,000 Nevada residents are in the country without legal documentation, which is about 30% of the state's total immigrant population, according to the American Immigration Council.
National Immigration Law Center vice president of law and policy Lisa Graybill told USA Today that the 10th Amendment prevents the federal government from forcing local and state officials to use their resources for federal use. However, state and local officials can choose to cooperate.
Washoe County Sheriff's Office
Washoe sheriff's spokesperson Cade Goodman told the RGJ that the sheriff's policy was not to step in, as their only role was to assist when there are concerns to public safety.
'Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal agencies,' Sheriff Darin Balaam said in a statement. 'If a specific request is made by ICE or another federal agency, we will provide support services as required during their operations.'
Under the sheriff's office's policy, they are not to question the immigration status of individuals unless it's relevant to a crime or investigation, and the fact that an individual is suspected of being undocumented 'shall not be the sole basis for contact, detention, or arrest.'
Reno Police Department
Reno police spokesperson Chris Johnson said their policy is similar to the county's, vowing not to contact or stop a person 'merely on suspicion that the person is present in the United States illegally.'
'It is the policy of the Reno Police Department to treat everyone in accordance with our core values, regardless of one's actual or perceived citizenship status,' Johnson said in a statement to the RGJ.
However, Reno police policy also states that the department is allowed to assist ICE with investigations when requested, with the approval from the chief of police.
Sparks Police Department
Sparks police spokesperson Julie Duewel told the RGJ that Sparks has not received any requests from the federal government to collaborate on immigration enforcement. Sparks police has no formal policy on immigration assistance, according to their website.
Jaedyn Young covers local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her wages are 100% funded by donations and grants; if you'd like to see more stories like this one, please consider donating Send your story ideas and feedback to Jaedyn atjyoung@
