Detroit officers suspended without pay after Border Patrol calls

By Fuad Shalhout, Tribune Information Service

DETROIT – The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday, Feb. 19, to droop a sergeant and an officer accused of violating division coverage by contacting U.S. Border Patrol throughout separate site visitors stops.

In a 10-0 vote after practically 4 hours of closed session, the board approved Police Chief Todd Bettison’s recommendation to publish sergeant. Denise Pockets and Officer James Corsi are on administrative depart for 30 days.

Each officers will serve the suspensions with out pay, however will proceed to obtain medical advantages.

The self-discipline stems from two separate incidents.

On December 16, 2025, Corsi contacted Border Patrol throughout a site visitors cease on Detroit’s west aspect. In a separate incident on Feb. 9, Pockets referred to as federal brokers for translation help as an alternative of utilizing the division’s 24-hour contracted language line, division officers mentioned.

In each instances, civilians concerned within the stops had been detained by federal brokers.

Detroit Police Division coverage prohibits officers from conducting federal actions immigration enforcement or contact companies comparable to US Customs and Border Safety for translation companies.

“Contacting Border Patrol, ICE or different federal companies for translation companies is strictly prohibited,” Bettison beforehand mentioned in publicly discussing the incidents. He has mentioned that the division “will not be within the immigration firm.”

Bettison has additionally said that he plans to pursue terminations for each workers. Any dismissal would require a command listening to, a course of that might take as much as 21 days.

The commissioners didn’t remark publicly Thursday on the suspensions or the circumstances that led to them.

Throughout public remark, a number of residents expressed assist for the disciplinary motion.

“We all know what it means to name somebody ICE proper now,” resident Chris Gilmer-Hill advised commissioners. “That is why we now have a PD coverage that this won’t occur, and violating it’s a violation of the civil rights of each Detroiter.”

Earlier Thursday, Pockets filed a federal lawsuit claiming she didn’t violate division coverage. The 27-year veteran of the division claims she contacted the Border Patrol on the path of her lieutenant and is demanding a jury trial.

It was not instantly clear whether or not town has responded to the lawsuit.

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