By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has put forward an insurance plan that could protect local police officers who make immigration arrests from potential financial consequences if they are accused of misconduct while on duty.
• ICE, which has been the face of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, proposed to help pay for liability insurance for local officers trained and deputized to enforce federal immigration laws, a proposal
document said. It was first reported by the Associated Press.
• According to the plan laid out in the document, officers could obtain professional liability insurance covering up to $500,000, which can cover legal fees, settlements and judgments, depending on the policy's terms.
• Officers would be reimbursed up to $250 annually for the cost of the insurance, according to the plan.
• The exact timeline for when this program will be launched was not clear.
• Cato Institute Director of Immigration Studies David Bier, who has been critical of ICE's actions, voiced concern about the plan.
• "The concern here is that ICE is going above and beyond to guarantee law enforcement does not have even the slightest risk of liability for violating Americans' rights while helping ICE arrest people," Bier said in a statement on X.
• The document said ICE was considering hiring a contractor to help in outreach, training and communications support for its specific partnerships with local departments under immigration law.
• The contractor would hire an insurance vendor and process reimbursements.
• ICE asked for industry feedback by later this week.
• Trump says his immigration crackdown and deportation drive is aimed at improving domestic security.
• Rights groups say the crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and has created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
