(The Center Square) — An upstate New York county is walking back a proposal to declare itself a ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction amid fierce opposition and concerns by local law-enforcement officials.
The Rockland County Legislature tabled a vote on a Democratic-led proposal that would prevent county and local law enforcement from working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seeking to apprehend people living in the country illegally, unless they have a judicial warrant.
The “Safety and Dignity for All Act” is modeled on a similar law approved by Westchester County in 2018, which also limits local cooperation with federal immigration officials.
More than 200 people packed into the legislative chambers Tuesday night to voice their support and opposition to the proposal, local media reported. Many others were forced to wait outside the building when the legislature’s chambers reached capacity. Legislative leaders pulled a vote on the proposal, saying they expect to revisit the bill in March, when they will hold another public hearing.
Backers of the proposal say the protections are needed to push back against the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement policies that are creating fear in immigrant communities. They say the proposal wouldn’t prevent federal authorities from apprehending criminal suspects wanted for deportation.
“We have already seen Rockland’s vibrant and diverse communities, including small businesses and nonprofits, impacted by ICE’s presence,” Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, D-Nyack, Clarkstown, said in a statement on the bill. “We’re seeing chronic absenteeism in our schools because students are afraid that they or their parents will be picked up and deported.”
Members of the Legislature’s Republican minority blasted the proposal in a statement that warned the move would jeopardize public safety and make Rockland County a target for the federal government.
“This legislation prioritizes ideology over safety, weakens cooperation between levels of government, and places unnecessary financial and security burdens on our community,” the GOP lawmakers said. “Ultimately, sanctuary counties fail the most basic responsibility of government: protecting the public. No political statement is worth compromising safety, accountability, or the rule of law.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, the Police Chiefs Association of Rockland County, Rockland County Police Benevolent Association, and other law enforcement groups issued a statement opposing the plan, saying it “risks disrupting effective and long-established partnerships” between federal and local law enforcement and stifling cooperation on “complex” cross-border criminal investigations.
“The ability for local law enforcement to coordinate with all appropriate partners, without unnecessary restrictions, allows incidents to be handled responsibly and in a manner that prioritizes both public safety and community trust,” they said in a statement. “Limiting lawful cooperation between agencies may result in unintended consequences that negatively impact public safety throughout Rockland County.”
The wrangling over the proposal comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul pushes for approval of a bill that would limit state and local cooperation with ICE by prohibiting the federal agency from deputizing local police to help detain undocumented immigrants. Local cops would be barred from acting as federal agents or using taxpayer funds and resources for civil immigration cases, under Hochul’s proposal.
At least eight New York counties have signed so-called 287(g) agreements with the Department of Homeland Security that allow local cops to be deputized by ICE for immigration enforcement.
