U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement criticized Salt Lake City and urged local law enforcement officers to join the federal agency’s ranks in a commercial that aired during Monday night’s NFL matchup between the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals.
The video said that Salt Lake City authorities “took an oath to protect and serve” and keep their families and their city safe. “But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free,” a narrator continued in front of footage of the Salt Lake Valley.
The commercial pressed officers to join ICE to catch “the worst of the worst,” and advertised the agency’s sign-on bonus and student loan forgiveness, among other “generous benefits.” Similar commercials appeared in Denver last week, according to CBS News.
Andrew Wittenberg, spokesperson for Mayor Erin Mendenhall, said Utah’s capital is not a sanctuary city that “our officers are expected to enforce the law.”
Read more at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.
