A Democrat-dominated city council in Danbury, Connecticut, is facing backlash over new police guidance that the Department of Homeland Security says is "encouraging criminal illegal aliens."
The City Council voted 18-2 last week to approve non-citizen legal immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients serving as police officers. One city council member, Democrat Joe Britton, remarked that the vote was "timely" considering recent ICE operations in the area and "sends a message to our immigrant community at large that you are welcome in Danbury."
In response, a spokesperson for DHS fired back that the City Council "should be thanking our law enforcement for removing these dangerous criminals from Connecticut - NOT vilifying law enforcement."
"An oath of office is a commitment to upholding the law, not encouraging criminal illegal aliens to break it," the spokesperson added, saying that "while these people smear ICE, law enforcement is arresting criminals and saving countless American lives."
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Britton denied these claims, telling Fox News Digital that "DHS is attacking an argument I never made" and "I have no objection to arresting violent criminals."
August ICE operations in Connecticut resulted in more than 65 arrests, according to an ICE news release. The arrests prompted public outrage in the community, including from city officials such as Britton, who called the raids "frightening" and a "federal invasion of immigration officials in Danbury."
DHS, however, told Fox News Digital that ICE arrested illegal immigrants with criminal convictions including assault, sexual assault, false imprisonment and molestation of a minor.
One arrestee, Eddy Ruano, from Guatemala, was convicted of molestation of a minor, according to DHS. Another Guatemalan national, Ericko Valenuela-Chua, was arrested in Connecticut after being convicted of sex assault-carnal abuse, sex assault and assault.
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A Nicaraguan national, Elvin Caceres-Martinez, was also arrested during the operation and was convicted of assault, weapon offense, aggravated assault with a gun, aggravated assault of a non-family with strongarm and carrying a prohibited weapon.
Meanwhile, Ecuadorian national Frank Guaman, convicted of sex assault and false imprisonment, was also arrested in the operation.
The DHS spokesperson stressed that "the vilification of ICE must stop" as "America's brave ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to enforce U.S. law and arrest criminal illegal aliens - including gang members, rapists, and murderers."
Regarding Britton's critiques of ICE in the area, the spokesperson said that "this type of rhetoric is contributing to a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line."
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Fox News Digital also reached out to the office of Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves for comment.
Britton told Fox News Digital that "DHS is attacking an argument I never made."
"I have no objection to arresting violent criminals," said Britton. "What I object to is using a handful of serious criminal cases to justify fear-driven enforcement tactics that make entire immigrant communities feel targeted."
He said that "Danbury is safer when residents trust local government and law enforcement, not when innocent families are afraid that simply going to work, school, or church could put them in the middle of an immigration raid and subject themselves to detention or arrest."
Britton added that "supporting law enforcement does not require remaining silent when federal enforcement creates unnecessary fear in our community."
