BREWSTER- Immigrants’ rights protestors have been gathering each morning before 6 a.m. outside the Brewster Metro North Railroad Station on the village’s Main Street to voice their opposition to recent ICE abductions in the half-square-mile Putnam County village.
Despite the arctic cold, dozens stood outside the Brewster Metro North Railroad station Saturday with signs, chanting for the masked federal enforcers to leave.
A spokesperson for Hudson Valley Patriots For Immigration Reform charged that numerous residents have been taken in Brewster resulting in “extremely harsh treatment of targeted individuals. Latino members of the Brewster community are lured into complying with agents, then snatched and abducted. Families do not know the whereabouts, conditions or any legal process about the unlawful imprisonment of their loved ones.”
The spokesperson also noted that “businesses in Brewster Village are suffering significant loss of revenue due to the community’s fear. Hudson Valley Patriots For Immigration Reform is demanding that ICE stop their warrant-less arrests and illegal operations in Brewster.”
Many of the vehicles passing the demonstrators honked their horns in support of the peaceful rally.
Meanwhile, Governor Hochul announced new legislation that would limit how local law enforcement coordinates with federal law enforcement.
According to the governor since she took office, 1,400 convicted criminals have been turned over to ICE in New York State.
“We will always cooperate with federal government to bring violent criminals to justice. Full stop,” said Hochul adding: “It’s not a change in policy. However, it does not mean that New York State will stand for flagrant abuse of power under the guise of public safety.”
Hochul is now proposing new legislation to ban local law enforcement from working with ICE through 287(g) agreements
The so-called “Local Cops, Local Crimes” act would ban such agreements between Immigration & Customs Enforcement and state or local police. It would also bar federal agents from using local detention centers to house immigration detainees.
Putnam County Sheriff Brian Hess said Saturday the governor’s proposed law had “no direct operational or fiscal impact on the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. While we do house prisoners, we do not house federal immigration detainees or individuals affected by this proposed change.
However, this proposal will significantly impact other sheriff’s offices across New York State that operate jails and currently receive federal funding for housing immigration detainees, resulting in the loss of revenue that helps offset local taxpayer costs.”
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