The New York Sheriffs’ Association is voicing concerns over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s immigration proposals being discussed in the state budget.
It says if enacted, the proposals would complicate how law enforcement does its job.
“This is a fight that is worth having, and it’s a hill that we’re prepared to die on so to speak,” said Broome County Sheriff Fredrick J. Akshar, II.
On Tuesday, more than a dozen sheriffs and undersheriffs spoke out at the state Capitol against the proposals.
“Today is not about resisting oversight, rejecting accountability,” said Sheriff Akshar. “It’s about drawing a line in the sand and saying enough is enough.”
In a release, the association listed multiple immigration proposals it doesn’t agree with, including proposed bans on sheriffs and local governments entering into 287-G agreements with the federal government. The association said these agreements have to do with prisoner transfers, and that eight sheriffs’ offices have them.
The association also doesn’t agree with a proposed ban on sheriffs communicating or coordinating with immigration authorities on non-criminal matters, and a proposed ban on any agreement to house federal civil immigration prisoners in local jails.
The governor recently expanded on her initial immigration proposals unveiled in January, calling them necessary to protect New Yorkers.
“Every day that goes by there’s innocent New Yorkers who are afraid to go to their house of worship,” said Hochul in an April 16 press conference. “Law abiding people who are contributing to our community, many have been here for decades, afraid to live their lives and I just want to have more protections in place that I think are long overdue.”
In a direct statement to Capital Tonight in response to the New York Sheriffs’ Association press conference, the governor’s office said in part:
“Governor Hochul has proposed a commonsense set of policies to ensure that local police are focused on fighting local crime — not carrying out federal civil immigration enforcement — and she remains focused on working with the legislature and partners in law enforcement to keep New Yorkers safe.”
While at the Capitol, sheriffs also backed Republican state Sen. Pam Helming’s proposal called The PROTECT Act. PROTECT stands for pretrial risk overview for threat evaluation custody treatment. The proposal challenges New York’s current bail laws.
“Under The PROTECT Act, it’s such common sense,” said Helming. “It’s so simple. Judges would be required to complete a standardized assessment to determine whether someone who’s charged with a Class A misdemeanor or a felony poses a danger and should be held pre-trial.”
Parts of the proposal include enabling judges to intervene in defendants’ lives with addiction, social and mental health services.
It also requires detention or release decisions within 48 hours of arraignment.
Sheriff Todd Hood, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, calls this proposal “urgent legislation.”
“We need to back our police officers and give elected judges the ability to put dangerous people in jail and protect New Yorkers from dangerous criminals,” said Sheriff Hood.
State Sen. Helming said she would like to see the PROTECT Act passed with the budget. Some sheriffs voiced support during a press conference Tuesday, sharing even if it means holding up the budget a little longer for the proposal’s passing to be worked out.