New York Congressman Lee Zeldin held a forum on immigration Monday. It was supposed to include law enforcement officials; however, two of those officials canceled at the last minute.
The forum was billed as a discussion about immigration, gangs, and crime. The FBI, Suffolk’s police commissioner, district attorney, and sheriff were invited to speak. Not invited were those who advocate for immigrants. Over the weekend those advocates blitzed local officials with phone calls urging them not to attend. District Attorney Tim Sini and Sheriff Errol Toulon canceled at the last minute.
Irma Solis, director of the Suffolk chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, says the forum was biased and aimed at stirring hate.
“You really can’t just have the one-sided conversation about law enforcement because you’re just promoting anti-immigrant sentiment and conflating immigrants with labeling an entire population as criminal.”
A spokeswoman for Zeldin said the forum did include those who could speak effectively on behalf of immigrants, including the Long Island Farm Bureau and an emigrant and mother of a boy killed by MS-13.
District Attorney Sini did not return messages. The Sheriff’s office said Toulon didn’t attend because of family reasons. A message posted to the Facebook page of Democratic Chair Rich Schaffer thanked him for his help in steering the DA and Sheriff away from the event.
