GOP bill would allow NY police and feds to collaborate on migrant enforcement

ALBANY, N.Y. (WCAX) – A GOP bill under consideration in New York would allow for more coordination between local police and federal immigration officers. It’s a stark contrast to Vermont, where lawmakers are working to restrict those lines of communication.

“Local law enforcement is currently prohibited from dealing with federal authorities and talking to them about — ‘Hey, we got this person in custody that is here illegally’ or ‘We have a hold on file.’ They do not tell them, they just release them,” said Senator Dan Stec, R-Queenbury, the co-sponsor of a bill aimed to address how law enforcement can communicate in New York.

In 2017, then Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order 170, which protects migrants in New York from fear and intimidation by forbidding police from asking or disclosing immigration status unless investigating illegal criminal activity. Part of the goal was to add protections for migrants if they were victims of or witnesses to a crime.

But Republican lawmakers say the order tied the hands of law enforcement, especially at the northern border, where Clinton County Sheriff Dave Favro does a lot of his work. “Sharing data information, vehicle information with border patrol is a no-no,” Favro said.

Senate Bill 8533 would reverse Cuomo’s order, requiring courts and law enforcement to notify federal immigration officials of any arrests or convictions of noncitizens.

For law enforcement, that would mean allowing data sharing between local, state and federal officials. “This may alleviate some of that as well and foster better working relationships,” Favro said.

Assemblyman Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, says he supports the sharing of data between agencies but that he also wants to see more support from the feds at the northern border. “Going back to the issue that is feeding this is trying to get resources to the northern border, and that is what we need to do,” Jones said.