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Vail Daily letter: Immigrants help serve and protect

As a police chief in Vail, I support legal immigrants being able to help serve and protect their communities (“Police departments hiring immigrants as officers,” USA Today, March 21).

Legal immigrants contribute to our communities. For work authorization, they go through rigorous background checks. Indeed, legal immigrants are eligible to enlist in our armed services, and many have served with great distinction. To become a member of a local or state police or sheriff’s department they also must undergo a background investigation.

As a member of the Law Enforcement on Immigration Task Force, a group of more than 30 local chiefs and sheriffs from around the country, I see the need for better immigration policies that help us build trust among everyone in our communities, including immigrants. That trust helps us in law enforcement keep everyone safe.



Including immigrants on law enforcement teams that serve and protect only helps build such trust and collaboration.

I’m glad our local policy allows us to welcome hardworking immigrants to the force. I encourage other cities and states to do the same.

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I encourage legal immigrants in Eagle County to consider a job in law enforcement with one of the departments in the county. Check out our websites for details.

Dwight Henninger

Chief of Police, Vail


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