Concerns spur Laurel review of police cooperation with federal agencies

Concerns raised by the Haitian Coalition of Delaware and La Esperanza over the Laurel Police Department’s sharing of information about Haitian residents with federal authorities have intensified local scrutiny of how the town of Laurel oversees cooperation between its police department and federal agencies.

Emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by “Spotlight Delaware,” a news organization, show that Laurel police compiled a list of locations within town limits where officers had encountered Haitian immigrants and shared that information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Most of the locations listed were residential addresses, along with several intersections. The list was later updated to include additional locations.

The disclosures prompted criticism from civil rights advocates and community organizations, who said the information sharing raised concerns about profiling, privacy, and trust between immigrant residents and local law enforcement, while also pushing town officials to consider whether clearer policies or oversight are needed.

In a statement released Jan. 16, Laurel Police Chief Robert F. Kracyla said the department received a FOIA request seeking internal correspondence containing the word “immigration” and fulfilled the request in compliance with Delaware law. Kracyla said the Laurel Police Department does not enforce immigration law and does not have the authority to determine an individual’s immigration status.

“At no time were individuals detained, questioned or targeted by the LPD based solely on immigration status,” Kracyla said. He added that any follow-up or enforcement action related to immigration falls under federal jurisdiction and that the department routinely shares information with state and federal law enforcement partners when it believes the information may be relevant to public safety responsibilities.

Civil rights advocates sharply criticized the disclosures. The ACLU of Delaware said the emails suggest Laurel police compiled and shared a list of locations associated with Haitian residents, including addresses where officers believed undocumented immigrants were present. ACLU of Delaware Executive Director Mike Brickner said the practice raises civil rights concerns and could undermine public safety by discouraging trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.

The ACLU noted that Delaware law prohibits local police from enforcing immigration laws and bars formal cooperation agreements, known as 287(g) agreements, between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The organization called on state leaders to issue clearer guidance and adopt additional safeguards to prevent profiling based on real or perceived immigration status.

The controversy also drew response from community organizations. In a joint statement released Jan. 27, the Haitian Coalition of Delaware and La Esperanza said they were troubled by reports that the Laurel Police Department collected and shared addresses associated with Haitian immigrants with federal authorities. The organizations said such actions erode community trust and raise questions about whether the department’s practices align with its stated commitment to serving a diverse community.

The statement described the situation as “extremely troubling,” citing concerns about how the information may be used in the future or shared with other federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The organizations urged accountability and emphasized their commitment to supporting Haitian residents across Delaware while highlighting the Haitian community’s economic and social contributions at both the local and national levels.

During the Tuesday, Jan. 20, meeting of Laurel mayor and council, Mayor Carlos Oliveras read a prepared statement addressing the immigration-related controversy and the police department’s actions.

“Mayor and Council are aware that certain actions taken by the Laurel Police Department in early 2025 have drawn recent attention in the media,” Oliveras said. He noted that the actions involved “the sensitive subject of immigration, and the frequently changing laws and policies involving immigration,” adding that immigration has been “weaponized to advance competing political agendas” at the national level.

Oliveras said the town does not view national origin alone as a factor in determining an individual’s rights and emphasized that the official position of the town of Laurel is that human rights “must be and will be protected” while enforcing applicable laws and policies.

“The town of Laurel values and takes pride in the cultural diversity of its citizens,” Oliveras said, while also expressing support for the Laurel Police Department and its officers. “The town of Laurel does not and will not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or other protected characteristics. The town of Laurel will indiscriminately enforce applicable laws against those found to be in violation.”

Following the mayor’s statement, a member of the public spoke in support of the police department and Chief Kracyla.

“I just want to say publicly that I support our police chief, and I support the Laurel Police Department,” she said, adding that she hoped the community would work with federal, state and local agencies to enforce the law. She said that while people may disagree with certain laws, enforcement is required until those laws are changed through the electoral process.

The speaker also said she respected the police chief’s decision to comply with the FOIA request, calling it a difficult decision that “takes a lot of courage.” She concluded by saying she was “not disgusted,” but rather “disgusted that anybody would be disgusted,” and expressed her and her husband’s support for the police department.

The controversy drew additional attention after Oliveras was quoted in earlier media coverage as saying he was “utterly disgusted” by the police department’s actions. In an interview with the Laurel Star, Oliveras said he was misquoted or misunderstood and did not intend to criticize the Laurel Police Department itself.

Oliveras said his concern was directed at the practice of profiling or discrimination and the sharing of personal information based on nationality or perceived immigration status, not at the department as an institution. He said he does not support profiling or discrimination and would object to any action that violates civil liberties.

“I would never go against our police department,” Oliveras said. “My concern was about practices, not about the department as a whole.”

Oliveras said the situation highlighted a broader governance issue for the town, noting that Laurel does not currently have a formal policy governing how or when its police department shares information with federal immigration authorities. He said the issue had not previously been before town leadership and that the police chief was responding to a request from another law enforcement agency rather than acting under direction of town officials.

According to emails obtained through the FOIA request by Spotlight Delaware, the address list was compiled in early 2025 by a Laurel police sergeant and later sent by Kracyla to an FBI agent at the bureau’s request. Kracyla said it is “not common at all” for the department to compile such lists and said this was the first time he could recall the department doing so. He said he does not know how the FBI ultimately used the information.

In a statement, the FBI said it took no law enforcement action based on the list and did not further share the information.

Oliveras said he does not want to speak for individual council members and plans to convene a workshop with the Laurel Town Council and legal counsel to review the matter. He said town leadership will consider whether Laurel should adopt an official policy or guidance governing cooperation with federal immigration authorities and information sharing moving forward.

The mayor said any decision would be made “collectively and deliberately,” considering legal advice, potential liability and the interests of the broader community.

As town leaders move toward developing a formal position, community organizations, civil rights advocates and residents alike say the outcome will help define how Laurel balances law enforcement cooperation with the protection of civil rights — particularly for immigrant communities that have become an integral part of the town’s social and economic fabric.