East Hampton Town considering law to limit local police's role in federal civil immigration enforcement
The law is based on a drafted recommendation by OLA of Eastern Long Island, an East End immigrant rights non-profit, which said the bill would increase transparency and rebuild community trust.
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Today, the East Hampton Town Board is considering legislation that would reshape the town's role in federal civil immigration enforcement.
The "public safety and accountability" proposal acknowledges the federal government's authority to enact and enforce federal immigration laws, but would prohibit many ways local police officers and town officials could assist in those efforts.
The law would prohibit the town from entering into any agreements that allow ICE to delegate immigration enforcement functions to state or local agencies. It would also prohibit the town from using any of its resources to investigate or arrest anyone solely for federal civil immigration enforcement, unless there's a judicial warrant.
The law would create a task force to address the community's concerns about federal immigration practices and provide public safety recommendations to the board.
The town's proposal would also require town police officers to report to the town supervisor any incidents an officer responds to that involve federal immigration enforcement.
The law would not prohibit town police from cooperating with federal authorities on criminal investigations nor bar ICE agents from lawfully enforcing civil immigration actions.
If approved, the law would go into effect immediately, but only last until July 1, 2029.
The town said the law is necessary after the federal government stepped up its immigration enforcement efforts, including crackdowns across Long Island, particularly on the East End, which is home to several large Latino immigrant communities.
"The Town Board further finds that effective local law enforcement depends upon community trust, respect for human rights, the practice of community policing, and transparency in the exercise of public authority," part of the law reads.
The legislation was based on a recommendation by OLA of Eastern Long Island, an East End immigrant rights non-profit. The organization is urging all East End communities to consider and pass similar laws.
"Healthy communities are built through open discussion, not unilateral decisions," OLA of Eastern Long Island Executive Director Minerva Perez said back in March. "At the same time, we cannot allow process to become paralysis. Doing nothing is not an option."
Other East End municipalities are considering the legislation, too.
The town of Southold has created a task force to review federal immigration policy and review OLA of Eastern Long Island's bill.
Last month, the East Hampton Village Board of Trustees held a public hearing on a similar bill to the one the town will consider tonight.
The two proposals differ slightly in that the town's would allow police officers to request an ICE agent to identify themselves during an immigration enforcement action, while the village bill would prevent ICE agents from using local license plate readers in civil immigration enforcement.
Tonight's public hearing on the town proposal will take place at East Hampton Town Hall at 6 p.m.
