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Detroit Police Sgt. Denise Wallet, who was suspended for 30 days without pay for allegedly contacting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during a routine traffic stop, has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Detroit, arguing her suspension violated her due process rights.
Wallet said she contacted CBP because her lieutenant ordered her to do so and that it was simply to identify a driver, not to enforce immigration law.
Her attorney, Solomon Radner, told that while department policy explicitly states personnel are not allowed to cooperate with immigration enforcement or to treat people differently based on a wide range of factors, including immigration status, none of that is at issue.
A split photo shows Detroit Police Sgt. Denise Wallet and a CBP agent. (; Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“That’s not even alleged to have happened in this case. All they really say is that she contacted [CBP] and therefore was somehow guilty of differential treatment of people,” Radner said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends First.”
The lawsuit comes after Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison initially planned to fire two officers, including Wallet, over two separate incidents involving contact with federal immigration enforcement during traffic stops, before deciding to suspend them instead.
Bettison said the officers’ actions led to detentions and ran counter to long-standing department rules prohibiting involvement in federal immigration enforcement, FOX 2 Detroit reported. He stressed that maintaining community trust is critical to public safety efforts.
Radner believes Bettison may have received “incorrect information” about the incident involving Wallet early in the investigation, either unintentionally or intentionally.
“Over his career, I’ve had a lot of respect for him. I still have a lot of respect for him,” Radner said of the chief. “I disagree with him wholeheartedly on this.”
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Detroit Police Sgt. Denise Wallet’s attorney said she has not violated department policy. (Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt told the station that contacting CBP during routine stops clearly violates department policy, but he wasn’t sure if termination was consistent with past discipline.
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U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responded to plans to fire the officers on X, writing, “We have a place for you, patriots.”
Radner told he didn’t know whether Wallet would take a job with ICE and said he hopes she can be reinstated to her current position with pay, adding that she is under an “incredible amount” of stress and pressure.
“She’s never dealt with anything like this before,” he said.
Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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