Suffolk County is among nine counties that have been early backers of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “Local Cops, Local Crimes” proposal, a push to limit the actions of federal law enforcement in New York State.
In announcing the plan on Friday, the governor called the surge of federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement a matter of “force over law. Fear over facts.” Her proposed bill would effectively bar local police from “acting as federal agents or using taxpayer-funded resources or personnel to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement.” Under the proposal, local jails would also be off limits to federal agents.
She stressed, however, that police will continue to cooperate with ongoing criminal matters. New York has turned over 1,400 convicted criminals to immigration officials after they have served their time in state custody, she noted.
The new bill would nullify any contracts ICE has entered into with state police. While no such agreements exist in Suffolk County, Nassau County’s Police and Sheriff’s Departments have both contracted with ICE, as has Broome County, upstate. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is a Republican candidate for governor. His policies have been in line with the
South Fork police chiefs say the governor’s proposal would be business as usual for their departments.
To date, it is unclear if ICE has been active in East Hampton Village, although agents have been sighted in Hampton Bays, Riverhead, Greenport, and, over the summer, in Amagansett.
Jeffrey Erickson, chief of the East Hampton Village Police Department, said there is anecdotal evidence of ICE’s presence, but nothing that he has been informed about by authorities. At points in the past federal agents have staged non-immigrations operations out of the parking lot behind village police headquarters at 1 Cedar Street.
Local authorities have not been notified in the past of upcoming operations. ICE has used the Hampton Bays Fire Department property as a staging area there. Recently in Central Islip, federal law enforcement was removed from property owned by the Fire Department.
Jess D’Amelia, the governor’s deputy press secretary, said by email this week that “sensitive locations owned or operated by state, local, or public authorities” would be impacted by the proposal. Furthermore, it would “deny access to non-public areas of sensitive locations to civil immigration enforcement agents without a judicial warrant. It would also empower sensitive locations owned or operated by private entities to adopt this same restriction.”
“Sensitive areas” include schools, places of worship, places where children gather, and health care facilities.
East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said that ICE has been on the minds of all the East End police departments. By email on Tuesday, he said the East End Chiefs Association will follow the protocol laid out by the governor because it is already reflected in the laws the police enforce.
“Any proposed state legislation regarding local involvement in immigration enforcement is not expected to change day-to-day police operations across our region because our practices already reflect these legal boundaries,” Chief Sarlo said. “Officers cannot detain an individual solely for a civil immigration matter, nor can a person be held beyond lawful authority. Local police facilities are not detention centers, and an individual may only be held pursuant to a valid judicial warrant or court order.”
Sag Harbor Village Chief Robert Drake said yesterday that Chief Sarlo’s comments reflect the position of his department as well.
East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen released a statement on behalf of the village on Friday, saying that local police should be able to focus on “the work they are trained to do” and that Governor Hochul’s law would allow just that.
And East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said in a letter to the governor that she “strongly supports” her initiative. “When local law enforcement is asked to take on the role of federal immigration enforcement, it undermines confidence, discourages victims and witnesses from coming forward, and diverts resources away from addressing local crime,” she said.
For his part, Chief Erickson said that “nothing has really changed” since last year, when Mayor Larsen told the community that village police would not assist ICE, but neither would they stop its agents from executing judicial warrants. The chief said village police will respond to calls from residents about ICE operations as well as calls from federal agents seeking assistance. He added that his officers will work to be sure the agents are who they say they are (as they do not wear one official uniform), and if their warrants are civil or judicial.
Judicial warrants are written orders signed by a judge, authorizing an officer to make an arrest, seizure, or search. Local police do not get involved in civil matters. Village and town officials have continued to state that they will not assist with civil warrants, from ICE or any other agency, because it is not within their jurisdiction.
However, both Chief Sarlo and Chief Erickson said they will cooperate with federal agents who present lawful judicial warrants — a practice that has always been in place. “That cooperation is based on criminal law and proper legal process,” Chief Sarlo said.
“The Village supports efforts that reinforce trust between residents and law enforcement while maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries between local policing and federal civil immigration enforcement,” said Mr. Larsen.
Chief Erickson echoed that sentiment, adding that he takes pride in the work his officers do in the village. Their outreach, in maintaining the peace and especially in schools, helps to create a decidedly “pro-police” atmosphere, he said.
Suffolk County Sheriff Eric Toulon said on Friday that Governor Hochul’s partnership with local police is crucial at a time when public trust is critical and law enforcement is “under stress and strain.”
“Strong communities are built on trust between residents and the officers who serve them,” he added.
