Danbury Democrats responded to a week of federal immigration enforcement by opening the city police department to certain noncitizens, approving the controversial change in an 18 to 2 City Council vote.

The move followed Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that reportedly produced more than 60 arrests across the Connecticut community.

The new ordinance allows lawful permanent residents and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals who live in Danbury to apply for positions as police officers.

Supporters insist every candidate will face the same screening, training, fitness, character, and certification rules imposed on citizen applicants.

Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.

WATCH:

Democrat Councilman Joe Britton made clear that the timing carried a political message after the ICE activity.

He said the vote "sends a message to our immigrant community at large that you are welcome in Danbury."

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Britton described the federal enforcement actions as "frightening" and presented the council vote as a moral response. Before the vote, he declared that "what we have here is an opportunity."

The Democrat also linked the ordinance directly to the recent ICE presence.

Britton said that "though this definitely wasn’t planned to be on the agenda on the end of a federal invasion of immigration officials in Danbury … I do think it's timely."

Then came the familiar moral lecture for anyone who dared disagree.

"There is no reason to vote against this, and if you do vote against this, I truly question your moral compass," Britton said.

The only two council members who opposed the measure were Republicans, while all 17 Democrats and one Republican voted in favor.

Nothing says open minded local governance quite like questioning the morality of the only members willing to cast a dissenting vote.

Britton later defended the policy by emphasizing that it applies to people who are legally present.

He said, "Danbury is an immigrant city, and I believe someone who is lawfully here, committed to our community, and willing to raise their hand and take an oath to protect and serve should have the opportunity to do so."

He also argued that eligibility would expand without weakening qualifications.

"This change does not lower Danbury’s standards for becoming a police officer. It simply allows otherwise qualified lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply and compete for these positions," Britton said.

Taylor O'Brien, a spokesperson for Danbury, said the council revised its ordinance to align with standards established by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council.

O'Brien noted that more than 30 Connecticut municipalities, along with jurisdictions in several other states, already use a similar standard.

Connecticut authorities partially waived the citizenship requirement in 2020, allowing lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients to pursue law enforcement positions.

Danbury officials say the local amendment is intended to keep qualified residents from taking police jobs in neighboring communities instead.

Democrat Mayor Roberto Alves supported the change and said the city would retain a rigorous hiring system.

Alves, who reportedly entered the United States as an undocumented child and became a citizen in 2017, said he was "glad the City Council approved" the ordinance.

Alves maintained that "the standards are not being lowered" and said applicants must still satisfy the department's professional expectations.

"What we are doing is giving qualified people an opportunity to compete for the job," he said.

The debate arrives with public attention already focused on immigration status and police employment.

ICE arrested two people serving as police officers in separate cases during 2025 after federal authorities accused them of being in the country illegally.

Jamaican national Jon Luke Evans, then a reserve officer in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, was arrested on July 25, 2025, in connection with allegations that he unlawfully attempted to purchase a firearm.

Radule Bojovic of Montenegro, who served with the Hanover Park Police Department in Illinois, was arrested on October 15 during Operation Midway Blitz.

Danbury's policy applies to lawful permanent residents and DACA recipients, not people deemed unlawfully present by federal authorities.

Still, the council's rush to frame routine federal immigration enforcement as an "invasion" revealed the political theater surrounding the vote.

City leaders can argue that the applicant pool is broader and the standards remain intact.

Residents, however, are equally entitled to ask whether a police officer empowered to enforce American law should first be an American citizen, without having their "moral compass" questioned by City Hall.

Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.