By Dan Murphy
Last week, we reported on a press conference held by Christine Sculti, the Republican candidate for Westchester County Executive in the upcoming November election. At that press conference, Sculti claimed that Westchester had become a “magnet for violent, criminal illegal aliens,” as a result of the Westchester Immigrant Protection Act, IPA, passed in 2018.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins told Rising Media Group that Sculti, “has her facts wrong on the IPA,” and referred us to a recent meeting of the Board of Legislators where Westchester County Corrections Commissioner Joseph Spano appeared before the Westchester Board of Legislators Public Safety Committee.
At that meeting, Legislator Ben Boykin asked Spano, “I was Chairman of the Board in 2018 when we passed the Immigrant Protection Act. How is that working?”
Spano said, “It’s working fine. In fact, over the last two weeks, ICE has logged two judicial warrants, and it worked just fine.” The fact that Westchester Corrections has only two requests for an ICE detention request after a warrant belies Sculti’s claim that Westchester is a magnet for illegal criminals.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed the Immigrant Protection Act into law on March 20, 2018. The measure, which passed the Board of Legislators by a vote of 11-3 on March 12, prevents Westchester County from using any of its resources to assist in federal investigations based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or national origin. In general, the Immigrant Protection Act outlines what information county law enforcement will require from those with whom they interact and how this information is shared with all levels of law enforcement.
County Executive Ken Jenkins commented on Sculti’s claims to Rising Media. “In criminal cases, law enforcement always speaks to each other. The Immigrant Protection Act explicitly allows for such communications in criminal matters. No law enforcement agency is contacting DOC regarding a criminal investigation. The state has a list of all incarcerated individuals that law enforcement has access to.”
Jenkins recently appeared on CBS NY news with Marcia Kramer. Kramer asked Jenkins about the fact that the Trump administration had labeled Westchester County a “Sanctuary County.”
“It’s not accurate,” said Jenkins. “We have an Immigrant Protection Act that was formulated in 2018 and has been through 2 Trump administrations. It is clear, and as stated in its definition, it doesn’t make us a sanctuary county. It doesn’t deal with any civil immigration matters. Still, law enforcement works closely with law enforcement on criminal matters, and that is not prohibited under our Immigrant Protection Act.
Jenkins added that the IPA provides that local law enforcement “doesn’t do the federal government’s job. If someone comes in with a judicial warrant, we honor that warrant and follow the law. That is why the Trump administration removed Westchester from their database,” which claimed Westchester was a Sanctuary County.
“In any criminal matter, we will follow up with our law enforcement to make sure that people are held accountable for any crimes they may have committed,” said Jenkins.
Neighbors Link, a Westchester-based organization that works to help integrate immigrants into the community, underscored the importance of the IPA.
Karin Anderson Ponzer, Director of Neighbors Link Community Law Practice, said, “The Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act (IPA) has been critically important in building trust between local residents and county law enforcement by outlining what information county law enforcement will require from those they interact with and how this information is shared with federal law enforcement.
“Trust between local police and the people they protect and serve is critical for the integrity of our criminal justice system. Police depend on the cooperation of all residents, including immigrants, in solving crimes and maintaining public order. If immigrants are afraid that police are doing the work of federal immigration authorities, many victims or witnesses of crimes simply will not come forward.
“The Immigrant Protection Act is clear in stating that it does not does not shield anyone involved in criminal conduct. The IPA has been an important step in ensuring public safety for all Westchester residents,” said Ponzer.
