The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners has voted unanimously to suspend Sergeant Denise Wallet and Officer James Corsi without pay for 30 days, following two separate incidents in which the officers contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during traffic stops.
Detroit Police Department policy reportedly restricts local officers from engaging in federal immigration enforcement during routine policing activities. The suspensions stem from allegations that both officers violated those rules by reaching out to Border Patrol rather than using internal procedures.
According to the incident summaries, Officer James Corsi contacted Border Patrol during a Dec. 16, 2025 traffic stop while investigating a felony warrant, after allegedly suspecting the individual was undocumented. CBP later detained the suspect.
In Sergeant Wallet’s case, the department says she called Border Patrol on Feb. 9, 2026 for translation assistance instead of using a mandatory department hotline. Wallet disputes that account, saying she contacted federal agents to help identify a suspect who presented a fake ID.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison had initially recommended termination, but later indicated he is satisfied with the 30-day unpaid suspension and is no longer pursuing firing. Wallet has also filed a federal lawsuit against the city, arguing her due process rights were violated and that Detroit’s policy conflicts with federal law, citing 8 U.S. Code § 1373. Federal officials, including voices from DHS and ICE, have criticized the suspensions, with ICE’s official social media account publicly encouraging the officers to apply for federal roles.
