Republican Representative Nick LaLota has likely cut off East Hampton Town and Village from receiving federal dollars for community project funding requests.
These requests, also known as "earmarks," bear no relation to our local C.P.F., the community preservation fund that comes from a real-estate transfer tax.
The news was delivered in a letter to town supervisors, mayors, and other local government officials yesterday.
"While municipalities retain broad authority over local matters, community project funding is a discretionary congressional appropriations process," wrote the congressman, who is up for re-election this fall.
"As such, it is appropriate to consider whether an applicant government demonstrates a willingness to cooperate with federal partners, uphold the rule of law, and protect public safety. Recent actions by certain municipalities in New York to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities have raised serious concerns in this regard."
The following sentence was underlined in his letter: "I will not support community project funding requests from municipalities that have adopted policies, enacted local laws, or taken official actions that deliberately obstruct, impede, or refuse lawful cooperation with federal authorities carrying out their responsibilities under federal law."
Both East Hampton Village and East Hampton Town recently passed versions of the East Hampton Public Safety and Accountability law championed by Minerva Perez, the executive director of Organizaction Latino Americano.
While the local law makes clear that the federal government has every right to enforce its immigration policies, it explicitly prohibits the town or village from cooperating or participating in civil immigration enforcement in concert with the federal government.
Its main intent was to reduce chaos and improve communication between the local police force, any United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents, and local governments. It was supported by dozens of community members who were energized to pass it after federal agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis in January during immigration enforcement actions.
It was not clear if his letter was in reference to the East Hampton legislation. A text to Mr. LaLota's spokesperson was not immediately answered.
"Congressman LaLota is free to disagree with the village's policy, but East Hampton Village will not be intimidated into abandoning a law we believe protects public safety, respects constitutional rights, and serves the best interests of our community," Mayor Jerry Larsen said in a written statement.
"Our law does not prevent federal authorities from enforcing federal immigration laws," he continued. "It simply establishes how local resources are used and ensures that constitutional protections are respected."
"Federal tax dollars belong to the taxpayers of East Hampton Village just as much as anyone else. We stand by the law we adopted, and we reject the idea that federal funding should be used as leverage to force local governments to abandon policies they lawfully enacted."
East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez could not immediately be reached.
