Southold Town officials are considering a new public safety law that would allow local police to respond to immigration enforcement operations, confirm that ICE agents are who they say they are, and document ICE activity for reporting to the town.
Supporters of the law said it doesn’t restrict federal officers, but it would reassure all residents during ICE operations, which can be chaotic and even deadly.
“We can communicate publicly through this proposed law that we have a plan for our schools, our children, our emergency rooms, for local officers to respond, assess, and report back what they learn to town leadership, allowing for appropriate next steps, or to counter panic with actual trusted information,” said Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island, the advocacy group that drafted the proposal.
Officials heard public comments on the law on July 29. Many who spoke in favor cited the increased transparency and accountability the law could provide.
Some critics – like Glenn McCarty of Southold – said parts of the law appear redundant, unenforceable, or legally risky.
“It’s a litigation magnet,” McCarty said. “The town would face claims from both sides: residents who say the law was not followed, and federal activists who say it interferes with federal enforcement.”
East Hampton Town and East Hampton Village passed their own versions of the public safety law earlier this year.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-01) has warned federal spending could be withheld from communities that adopt it.
