NEW ROCHELLE, NY — In a statement issued Thursday, New Rochelle City Officials responded to executive orders on immigration issued by President Donald Trump.
In a joint statemnet issued by New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, New Rochelle City Manager Chuck Strome and New Rochelle Police Commissioner Patrick Carroll said the following:
Yesterday, President Trump issued executive orders related to immigration, one of which concerns coordination between federal immigration authorities and local police departments and is, therefore, directly relevant to municipal policy and practice.
The term “sanctuary city” has no precise definition, and we do not use it in New Rochelle, but we do make absolutely clear that all people of good will are welcomed, valued, and respected in our community, regardless of their origins, and that immigrants are an essential part of New Rochelle’s identity and future.
For our Police Department, maintaining a respectful and mutually supportive relationship with all constituencies in New Rochelle is not just the right thing to do, it is also necessary to the promotion of public safety, which depends on trust and the free flow of information. That is why local police departments are not and should not engage in immigration enforcement – and our practices in New Rochelle reflect and support this principle.
Of course, the New Rochelle Police Department will continue coordinating with federal authorities to apprehend and bring to justice criminals who threaten our safety, regardless of their immigration status.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Talk of the Sound reached out for clarifcation from New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson. He provided the following statement in which he closes by noting that the City would cooperate with ICE with respect to individuals in custody of NRPD for criminal acts (other than immigration violations). City officials noted that NRPD rarely has suspects in custody for more than 48 hours at which point they are transferred to the Westchester County Jail in Valhalla which does honor ICE detains.
“We were motivated by the sense that many residents of New Rochelle are deeply concerned about the executive order and about the general evolution of federal immigration policy under the new administration,” said Bramson, adding “it was important for us to affirm our commitment to a community based on mutual respect and inclusion, and express our view that public safety is best upheld when local police do not participate in immigration enforcement.”
Bramson boted that, at this point, it is still unclear how the administration intends to proceed.
“The executive order suggests forthcoming action yet to be determined, and it is difficult to anticipate every hypothetical, “said Bramson.
“Our statement is probably best seen as a broad expression of principle, with specific responses to be determined if and when the federal government takes specific actions. As a general matter, however, the City cooperates with ICE only with respect to individuals in custody for criminal acts other than immigration violations.”
