BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — The Bryan Police Department issued a press release Tuesday about federal law enforcement activity by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) happening in the city.
The release reads, in part, as follows:
Immigration enforcement is a federal matter. As a federal agency, ICE has the legal authority and duty to enforce federal laws within local communities. BPD would like to remind the public that interfering with any local, state, or federal law enforcement activity is illegal and creates serious safety risks for everyone involved. While the Constitution protects free speech and peaceful assembly, those protections do not allow individuals to enter or disrupt active law enforcement areas. Just as the public is kept back from accident scenes, fire responses, or secured crime scenes, similar safety boundaries are in place during active law enforcement operations. These measures are necessary to protect the public, officers, and first responders.
Bryan Police Chief Dean Swartzlander said, “The Bryan Police Department is not involved in federal law enforcement, including immigration and customs enforcement. Our officers are here to protect public safety and enforce local and state laws.” He continued, “While we respect and uphold the constitutional rights to free assembly and free expression, those rights do not include interfering with active law enforcement operations or placing public safety at risk. Our priority is the safety of our community.”