• Two Detroit officers suspended without pay for 30 days after contacting Border Patrol during separate traffic stops
• Police chief initially vowed termination but backed down after a federal lawsuit and state funding threats
• Public records reveal at least four incidents of Detroit police-CBP coordination, raising questions about enforcement gaps

DETROIT, MI (TDR) — The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners voted 10-0 to suspend Sgt. Denise Wallet and Officer James Corsi without pay for 30 days after both contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection during separate traffic stops that resulted in federal detentions. The discipline highlights a deepening tension between local police policy, federal immigration enforcement and the political pressures squeezing cities caught in the middle.

Police Chief Todd Bettison initially told commissioners he intended to fire both officers, calling their actions a clear violation of department rules rooted in a 2007 anti-profiling ordinance and a 2020 internal directive that bars officers from engaging federal immigration authorities.

“Contacting Border Patrol, ICE or other federal agencies for translation services is strictly prohibited, as it subjects individuals to extreme scrutiny.”

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By Friday morning, Bettison reversed course.

“I am satisfied with the Board’s decision, and I will not be pursuing termination of these two officers.”

Two Incidents, Two Disputed Accounts

The incidents occurred on Dec. 16, 2025 and Feb. 9, 2026. In the December stop, Corsi was investigating a felony warrant on Detroit’s west side and contacted Border Patrol after suspecting the individual was not a U.S. citizen. Federal agents detained the person upon arrival.

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The February stop involving Wallet produced sharply conflicting accounts. Bettison told commissioners Wallet called CBP for translation services instead of using the department’s 24-hour translation hotline. Wallet’s federal lawsuit tells a different story — she responded to an officer’s request for a supervisor after a motorist presented what appeared to be a fraudulent electronic driver’s license. When a fingerprint scanner failed to identify the individual, her lieutenant directed her to call Border Patrol for identity verification — not immigration enforcement, the suit claims.

“Absolutely no policy was violated whatsoever,” said Wallet’s attorney, Solomon Radner. “At some point she called her lieutenant and said, ‘What do I do? We can’t identify this man.’ And the lieutenant, knowing the policy and following the policy, said call Border Patrol.”

Wallet’s lawsuit argues Detroit’s immigration policy violates Section 1373 of Title 8 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits state or local governments from restricting communication with federal immigration officials about an individual’s citizenship or immigration status. Multiple federal courts have examined Section 1373’s scope, with several ruling it does not compel local agencies to actively participate in federal immigration enforcement.

Political Pressure From Both Directions

The case drew rapid political responses. Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall, a Republican, warned that firing the officers could trigger a review of Detroit’s state funding under House rules that prohibit earmarks to sanctuary cities.

“To fire these two officers would be completely unacceptable and it would really damage the relationship I’m trying to build with the city and their leadership,” Hall said.

From the opposite end, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) applauded the discipline, framing it as necessary to preserve community trust.

The Department of Homeland Security escalated the rhetoric on social media, calling the officers “American heroes who chose public safety first.” ICE posted a recruitment pitch over the story: “We have a place for you, patriots.”

Mayor Mary Sheffield‘s office backed the final outcome.

“The Mayor, like the Chief, believes the Board of Police Commissioners understood the gravity of the officers violating a longstanding departmental policy and took appropriate action,” said mayoral spokesman John Roach.

Wider Pattern Emerges

While the chief disclosed two incidents, Outlier Media’s public records requests uncovered at least two additional cases of Detroit officers contacting CBP — including a July 2025 stop where an officer called federal agents after a driver presented a Mexican consular ID. In nearby Fraser, body camera footage from a December stop showed local officers turning a Venezuelan teen and his mother over to federal agents, with the CBP agent on scene making openly political comments about Biden-era policies.

The tensions come as federal immigration infrastructure expands around Detroit. ICE confirmed it purchased a 300,000-square-foot warehouse in Romulus — six miles from Detroit Metro Airport — for conversion into a 500-bed detention facility, part of a broader $45 billion nationwide detention buildout.

Retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt captured the disciplinary tension at the heart of the case.

“To contact Border Patrol? No, that’s against policy. That being said, there have been a lot more egregious things that have occurred in the police department and people have not been terminated.”

As federal immigration enforcement escalates in metro Detroit, can local police departments maintain community trust policies while navigating conflicting legal obligations — and who decides where that line falls?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from CBS News Detroit’s coverage of the suspensions, the Detroit Free Press via Michigan Public on Bettison’s reversal, Fox News’ reporting on the termination threat, The Detroit News coverage of Wallet’s lawsuit and state funding warnings, Outlier Media’s investigative reporting on wider CBP cooperation, the Detroit Metro Times on Bettison’s reversal, The National Desk’s reporting on political reactions, the American Immigration Council’s Section 1373 analysis, Crain’s Detroit Business on the Romulus detention facility, and Fox 2 Detroit’s interview with Wallet’s attorney.

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