LAPD Chief Says He Will Risk Federal Funding to Avoid Immigration Enforcement by Officers
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says he is willing to risk millions in federal funding, if President Trump decides to punish cities that don’t comply with federal immigration laws.
January 31, 2017
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says he is willing to risk millions in federal funding, if President Trump decides to punish cities that don’t comply with federal immigration laws.
“I’d risk losing my beliefs,” Beck told the Los Angeles Times if he were to comply. “There’s not a price for me to do this differently.”
Beck says his force is about 47% Latino, and many officers have what he called blended families. In other words, they’ve got relatives with papers and relatives without.
“To think the fabric of Los Angeles is going to change [through a legal edict],” Beck said, “denies our history.”
If the LAPD were forced into the immigration business, Beck said, “It’s all we’d do,” instead of focusing on trying to bring crime rates down.
“We couldn’t deport 500,000 people if we wanted to, and if we did, it would be at the expense of public safety.”
If undocumented immigrants are convicted of violent felonies, Beck thinks they should serve their time and then be deported. But the crime rate is no greater among immigrants than the rest of the population, he said.
More Command
Sponsored•October 27, 2025
How One Police Department Cut Crime by 46% with Smarter Patrol Management
Discover how one police department cut crime nearly in half using smarter patrol data. This whitepaper breaks down the real-world strategy behind a 46% drop in vehicle thefts, improved officer safety, and stronger community visibility.
Read More →
Is Your Duty Holster Duty Rated?
The first – and worst – time I had to fight to keep my gun, my holster and duty belt held up far better than my training did.
Read More →
More IACP 2025 From the Show Floor
Watch expanded coverage of IACP 2025 as the POLICE Magazine team walks the aisles at the expo and shares what we found interesting on display for chiefs from across the country and around the world this week in Denver, Colorado.
Read More →
IACP 2025 - From the Show Floor
Take a look inside the expo at IACP 2025 to see a sampling of what is displayed for chiefs from across the country and around the world this week in Denver, Colorado.
Read More →
Pro-gard Expands Law Enforcement Vehicle Protection and Transport Solutions
Pro-gard has introduced HD Fender and Headlight Wraps for added front-end protection and a new P1300 Pro-Cell transport system for Ford F-150 and Super Duty models.
Read More →
COPS Teams With The Wounded Blue To Help Injured And Disabled Law Enforcement Officers And Their Families
Free officer-wellness training comes to Las Vegas Sept. 22–25: The Wounded Blue’s 5th Annual National Law Enforcement Survival Summit opens registration.
Read More →
Video: Officer Crawls Across Ladder to Rescue Family from Floodwaters
When floodwaters overturned a vehicle in rural New Mexico, Officer Walker Eby risked his life—crawling over raging currents on a ladder—to rescue a woman, her child, and their dog.
Read More →
Ahmedabad, India, to Host 2029 World Police & Fire Games
Birmingham, Alabama, hosted the 2025 World Police & Fire Games, and Ahmedabad, India, has been announced as the host city for 2029.
Read More →
Trump Calls Out National Guard to Address D.C. Crime
The memorandum says D.C. is a Federal city and violent crime “prevents Federal workers from safely performing their duties and prevents Americans from safely accessing their elected officials.”
Read More →