WPCNR IMMIGRATION WIRE. From LOCAL SEIU. September 18, 2017:
Immigrants and their allies rallied in Yonkers for passage of the Westchester Immigrant Protection Act, which would protect the privacy of all residents and clearly distinguish between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.
Though the Act was passed in early August with the bipartisan support of 11 county legislators, County Executive Rob Astorino’s subsequent veto set up an override vote on Monday, September 25. For an override, the support of 12 legislators will be needed to pass the act into law. The rally called for Legislator David Tubiolo, who is among the minority of Legislators who voted against the Immigrant Protection Act in August, to change his mind.
“Our union enthusiastically endorses the Westchester Immigrant Protection Act as a vital tool for reinforcing the bonds of trust between immigrant communities and our local law enforcement,” said John Santos, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU Hudson Valley.
“Legislator Tubiolio has the opportunity to correct his record and stand with his constituents on the right side of history by voting yes on September 25. We encourage all County legislators to do the right thing and support the act, so that immigrants feel comfortable helping local authorities prevent and solve crime, thereby making Westchester safer for everybody.”
Studies have long shown that immigrants are more reluctant to report crime when they fear that police are acting as immigration agents.
Recently, the Trump administration’s indiscriminate and aggressive immigration crackdown has led to dramatic decreases in crime reporting among immigrants in cities like Houston.
This decrease makes criminals harder to catch, endangering the safety of all local residents.
The Westchester Immigration Protection Act reverses the trend by clearly protecting Westchester immigrants’ due process rights, their right to confidentiality, and every taxpayer’s right to the assurance that local law enforcement agencies are focusing all their time and resources on the protection of public safety.
