Help Provided by the Attorney General

At the informal Common Council meeting on January 10, Alderman Tiffany Garriga (Second Ward) proposed that the Council pass a resolution declaring Hudson a sanctuary city. That proposal was referred to the Legal Committee, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, January 25, at 6:15 p.m.

Today, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a press release announcing his intention to provide local governments with legal tools to protect immigrant communities. The press release reads in part:

Anticipating potential changes in federal immigration enforcement practices and priorities, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today provided local governments and law enforcement agencies with a legal roadmap for improving public safety by protecting vulnerable communities. As part of that roadmap, A. G. Schneiderman also provided local governments with model laws and policies that, if voluntarily enacted by a local government, would codify "sanctuary" policies into local law. In recent years, several cities across New York State, including Syracuse and New York City, have successfully adopted such policies.

The model provisions offered by the A.G.'s Civil Rights Bureau clarify that local New York law enforcement agencies can limit their participation in federal immigration activities in several ways. . . .

"Public safety relies on trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. No local law enforcement agency should have to undercut that trust just to carry out Donald Trump's draconian immigration policies," said Attorney General Schneiderman. "The legal guidance and model policies my office released today give local governments the tools they need to protect immigrant communities from an over-reach by federal agencies. New York has a long history of welcoming immigrants and embracing diversity. Now, more than ever, we must stand up for our values of inclusion and pluralism." . . .

The entire press release can be read here.
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