Needham Police Share Department Guidance, Policies on ICE
January 28, 2026
• Needham Police officers have a “duty to intervene” in the event of excessive force, Chief John Schlittler told the Select Board at its Tuesday meeting.
As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visibly ramps up efforts to detain and deport people, Chief Schlittler discussed how his department may respond to their presence in Needham.
The Needham Police Department works “to enforce local and state law, not federal law,” Schlittler said. Should ICE officers — or any enforcement agency — display an unnecessary or excessive use of force, he said they then have a responsibility to get involved.
Schlittler said ICE does not have the authority to prohibit or block Needham Police from “a place in our jurisdiction.” The department will work to protect officers and residents and “to keep the peace,” he said, while also providing resources to those impacted by ICE.
“It’s our town,” he said. “We’re going to respond, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep everybody safe.”
Though the NPD does not track ICE sightings, Schlittler wrote via email that the agency has stopped in Needham “maybe a couple of times over the last 5 or so years.” Multiple social media posts from September allege ICE-branded vehicles were spotted in town.
Local police aim to arrive on scene before any sort of enforcement action is underway, he said, which means maintaining communication with ICE is important. “The last thing that we want is people coming into town without telling us,” he said. Schlittler said they hope to avoid “a blue-on-blue situation,” wherein they are notified by onlookers of ICE activity and respond to an ongoing situation with limited details.
In the past, the two departments worked together on task forces involving human trafficking, narcotics, terrorism and the Secret Service, Schlittler said.
“I think the hard thing that we have is, our officers are put in difficult situations every day, and we try and arm them… with the information that [is] needed to handle these situations, with the knowledge of the laws, with our training, the de-escalation,” he said. “And it’s important to have a relationship with our federal law enforcement partners.”
Member Marianne Cooley called the current relationship between local officers and ICE as “extremely challenging.” She referenced the situation in Minnesota, where local police are far outnumbered by federal officers.
“I hope that, if it comes to Massachusetts, that we are able to coordinate activities for a legal purpose,” Cooley said.
State law enforcement cannot hold people based solely on an ICE detainer request, according to a 2017 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision. ICE detainers notify enforcement agencies of a non-citizen in their custody who can be deported, requesting they continue holding said person for longer to allow ICE to take them into their custody.
The only situation in which Massachusetts law enforcement can carry out any immigration enforcement is if ICE presents a judicially issued federal arrest warrant.
Board Vice Chair Cathy Dowd expressed alarm at ICE activity in Minneapolis, where two residents were shot and killed by federal officers. She suggested the board review practices and policies, as she feels that a branch of federal law enforcement “is violating people’s rights on a regular basis.”
Needham Police behaviors are guided by an amalgamation of state law, court decisions, organizational policies, department training and more, Town Manager Katie King said, meaning no singular policy outlines police action in these situations.
The police can’t create a policy to potentially obstruct an outside agency’s practices and activities, Schlittler said. Their duty to intervene policy is part of the department’s use of force training, he said.
The board agreed to a policy review.
Chair Heidi Frail said residents are seeking reassurance right now, but she urged the town to consider the safety of officers as well.
“When we talk about the police intervening and protecting us, we have to remember that these people are part of our community. Some of them are Needham residents. Whether they live or not, they work here, and they are part of our community as well,” Frail said. “And we want to make sure that we don’t unnecessarily jeopardize them either, even in the moment, this very dangerous career that they’ve chosen.”
Schlittler underscored the department’s mission.
“It’s imperative for us that all Needham residents or any victim of a crime or in need of help in our community feel comfortable and safe coming to the Needham Police Department for help, regardless of their status,” he said.
