New England mayors and police chiefs gather; ICE enforcement discussed

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Police chiefs and mayors from all across New England came together in Providence to discuss policing strategies and topics like immigration enforcement.

Twenty-two mayors and 19 police chiefs gathered for the conference.

“It is remarkable that when we spend time together, we realize we are facing so many shared challenges,” Mayor Brett Smiley said. “And so whenever we have the opportunity to share solutions, it makes all of our cities better.”

Smiley said one of the many topics covered at the conference was policing during the new Trump administration as ICE raids take place in cities around the country.

Newport police issued a public statement after a federal arrest in their city, which said the action only targeted a single individual:

In response to multiple media and community inquiries, the Newport Police Department confirmed with federal authorities that a single targeted immigration enforcement action occurred in Newport today, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. It took place on Thames Street in the area of Cottons Court with the apprehension of a single individual in connection to other criminal offenses. There were no other immigration related law enforcement activities by federal authorities today in Newport.

Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez added that his department does not ask for legal status in its day to day interactions with residents.

“I stated before we have a policy in place, they have a job to do and we have ours,” Perez said. “We don’t ask for legal status.”

Perez said he knew of no ICE enforcement in Providence and there is a clear distinction between Providence police and ICE agents.

“I want to make sure our community understands that we will never be immigration officers,” he said.

Meanwhile a rally outside of the Rhode Island State House protested recent actions by President Trump and his adviser Elon Musk.

“That was mostly for show,” Mazinho Palencia of Cranston said. “These cities have opposed the administration previously so obviously they are going to be the first targets of the new policies to clamp down on undocumented migrants.”

Smiley also said that despite some of the rhetoric after the election, the stats he gets from police indicate crime rates in cities like Providence are down