“I do not believe it is appropriate to assume that all New York residents agree with a blanket approach to non-cooperation with federal authorities. We will not allow those known to be dangerous to find safe harbor in our town. Public safety must come first.”
Carl Fulgenzi, Mt. Pleasant Supervisor
Congressman Lawler to Governor Hochul-You are Full of Shit
By Dan Murphy
Two poll questions I would love someone to ask Westchester residents.
1-Do you support the return of ICE to Westchester?
2. Would you support the return of ICE to Westchester if their only act would be to arrest and deport illegal criminals?
Included in the recently passed NY State budget is the New York for All Act, and because Governor Kathy Hochul signed the budget, the act becomes law.
The headline from Governor Kathy Hochul’s office read, Governor Hochul Signs Comprehensive Immigration Plan to Protect New Yorkers Against ICE, after Hochul signed the New York for All Act, which was part of the state budget.
“From day one, I have been clear: Flagrant abuses of power by ICE will not stand in New York. That is why we have enacted a comprehensive set of policies to hold ICE accountable, protect the constitutional rights and safety of every New Yorker, and ensure there’s no sanctuary for criminals in our state,” Governor Hochul said. “States like New York can and must be a guardrail and national leader against ICE overreach, and I’m proud to enact these strong, common-sense protections for New Yorkers.”
The law prohibits law enforcement and government officials in NY State from cooperating with ICE when the Federal agency requests the detention of a criminal who is not an American citizen. Specifically, the law prohibits local governments, state and local police, and state and local corrections from entering into 287(g) Agreements or similar agreements with the federal government that allow state and local law enforcement personnel and facilities to be used for civil immigration enforcement. 287(g) agreements are formal contracts that federally deputize local law enforcement personnel or allow local facilities to enforce civil immigration laws.
U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan and Congressman Mike Lawler both reacted to Hochul’s actions and comments. But closer home in Westchester, Mt. Pleasant Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi-
Made it clear that he did not agree with the Governor.
“While Gov. Kathy Hochul has recently signed legislation expanding New York State’s sanctuary policies, I do not believe it is appropriate to assume that all New York residents agree with a blanket approach to non-cooperation with federal authorities.
In Mount Pleasant, our priority is and always will be the safety and well-being of our residents. Our law enforcement agencies will continue to work with federal authorities when necessary to identify, apprehend, and remove convicted individuals who are in the country illegally and who pose a threat to our community.
We will not allow those known to be dangerous to find safe harbor in our town. Public safety must come first.
I respectfully question the assumption that all New Yorkers support policies that limit cooperation with federal law enforcement. Reasonable people can disagree with immigration policy, but there should be broad agreement that individuals who have been convicted of serious crimes and present a threat to public safety should be held accountable.
Our responsibility is to protect the residents of Mount Pleasant, and we will continue to take that responsibility seriously,” said Fulgenzi, a republican who is running for reelection in November. His opponent will be former Assemblyman Tom Abinanti.
Fulgenzi is one of only a few Republicans left in Westchester facing Democratic challenges this year. More on that story this summer.
The decision by Hochul and State legislators to include the New York for All Act in the budget has drawn sharp criticism from Border Czar Tom Homan and Westchester Congressman Mike Lawler.
After Hochul tweeted, “As I’ve told the President and Tom Homan, New York will never be a sanctuary for dangerous criminals. We will continue working with federal authorities to target violent offenders. But we will not stand by if ICE floods our communities with agents, separates families, and turns our neighborhoods into the backdrop for a campaign of fear,” Congressman Mike Lawler responded with
“You are so incredibly full of shit. If what you say is true, then why won’t you turn over those who commit crimes under state law, and why did you just sign a bill that prohibits law enforcement and government officials from cooperating when detainer requests are issued?”
Border Czar Homan, on CSPAN, said, “You can expect more ICE agents to go to New York because Governor Hochul signed legislation that ended our 287 G agreements, where one agent can arrest one bad guy turned over by a jail. Now we’ve got to send a whole team to look for that guy. So, she took away the efficiencies of the jails and the 287 (g) agreements. So, it’s only math. One agent can arrest one bad guy safely and securely. The jail is safer for the aliens, safer for the agent, and safer for the community. But she decided to kill all that. So now we’ve got to send more agents to do the job. That would have taken one person.”
The 287 G. Program is a place where we get thousands of criminal aliens from. If you get arrested in a 287 G jail tonight, you’re going to be screened, too. Everybody. If I get arrested, I’ll be screened under 287 G. It helps us. It provides a force multiplier for finding criminal aliens. Now, Governor Hochul can say she supports the removal of criminal aliens, and she wants to work with ICE and criminal aliens. Since she’s been governor, thousands of criminals have hit the street. She says she supports the removal of criminal aliens, but she locks us out of the jail. She ends the 287 G agreement. You can’t square that. We believe that criminal aliens should be arrested and locked up in jail. It’s ridiculous. She’s lying to the people of New York State. We’re going to surge resources in New York. We have to. We got Rikers Island in New York City. I had an agreement with Mayor Adams to get back into Rikers Island. Now, if you truly believe we have a right to arrest and deport criminals who are in the country illegally, then why am I locked out of Rikers Island? Why do they keep releasing them to the street? You can’t square that. That’s ridiculous,” said Homan.
Before Hochul approved the New York for All Act, Westchester County had a similar law that required the same. The Immigrant Protection Act has been in effect for several years. Now the State law takes precedence, but no changes will be made to the non-cooperation between Westchester Law enforcement and ICE.
Another important piece of the county and state law. While they make it illegal for Westchester law enforcement to assist ICE in detentions, both laws require that ICE go to court and get a warrant signed by a judge for the person they are interested in.
Why is there such opposition from ICE to go and get the warrant? This is the argument that democrats can and do make: that if ICE simply has a warrant signed by a judge, they can take action and make their arrests.
The actions of Westchester law enforcement, specifically in the county jail, are one area where Homan and democrats disagree. Homan claims that if ICE can’t go into prisons, they will be forced to make their arrests in public once the person of interest is released.
We asked Fulgenzi whether he believes that Mt. Pleasant would be in violation of the new state law if Mt. Pleasant Police interacted with ICE. “I don’t think the Governor has the right to make a blanket statement. It’s up to the people in those communities to make that decision. We need more public input on this.
“I don’t know if the Governor wants to make more out of it, but my #1 job is public safety, and if I feel that I have to work with federal agencies, we will do that, and our police department is on board,” said Fulgenzi.
We asked Fulgenzi what we ask almost every democrat and republican. How can we make ICE JUST arrest the criminals, and not take any action against the thousands in Westchester, who may not be documented citizens, but who have worked hard, raised a family, pay taxes, and have never been charged with any crime?
“That’s a tough situation,” said Fulgenzi. “I know immigrants who for many years have paid taxes and never broken the law. These are not the people we want to go after. Only those who are here illegally will face criminal arrests. Not the people who are here for a better life, work their butts off, and are good family people.
Border Czar Homan, when asked again and again what the policy of ICE is when looking to arrest a criminal, but family members or other illegal residents are also at the location. Homan has consistently said that if they are illegal, they will be detained.
This is a mistake in our view. Fulgenzi added that he is not aware of any arrests made by the Mt. Pleasant Police or cooperation with ICE in the arrest of undocumented residents who have committed crimes, adding, “It wasn’t because of past experiences in our town that I spoke out.”
Editor’s Note: ICE sightings in Westchester have substantially decreased over the past year. Also unclear is whether Homan will increase ICE presence in Westchester. He has indicated that he will do so in New York City.
