Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng
Congresswoman Meng said “it is so disturbing to learn of the pattern of inappropriate communication between the Department of Correction and ICE that may have facilitated and expedited removals of immigrant New Yorkers.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) announced on Monday that she led her Congressional colleagues in a letter to City Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina asking him to provide information about DOC’s communication practices and policies with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
“New York City has always been a welcoming place for immigrants and people who want their shot at the American Dream. That is why it is so disturbing to learn of the pattern of inappropriate communication between the Department of Correction and ICE that may have facilitated and expedited removals of immigrant New Yorkers,” Meng said. “City law clearly defines the situations under which communication and information sharing between DOC and ICE may occur, however, the emails shared during a recent City Council hearing suggest several instances of cooperation that is in violation of local laws. That is why I am pressing DOC for additional information about their communications practices and policies to ensure immigrant New Yorkers are not harmed by unlawful coordination between federal officials and city government. New York City has a legacy of welcoming newcomers to our country, and we must ensure that our government agencies – across all levels – are living that legacy.”
City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn) recently led a joint hearing of the City Council committees on Immigration and Criminal Justice regarding email communications between ICE and DOC. The emails, obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request initiated by the Immigrant Defense Project and Black Alliance for Justice Immigration, revealed a culture of cooperation between the two agencies. This cooperation included “scheduled release times to facilitate ICE pickups” and “shared unsolicited information that could be used to expedite removals.” The email correspondences also exposed messages from a DOC officer requesting that ICE pick up someone, using the phrase “#teamsendthemback” and “You are my BOO FOR REAL.”
In 2014, a NYC law established strict parameters detailing when DOC would honor an ICE request to detain an individual 48 hours beyond their scheduled release.
“As Members of Congress charged with overseeing federal immigration enforcement actions, we are incredibly concerned with the relationship these e-mails reveal despite local laws that narrow the scope of when local law enforcement cooperation with ICE may occur,” the pols wrote.
“No New Yorker should be anxious about living their daily life in public and interacting with government agencies simply because of their immigration status. New York City’s sanctuary laws were enacted to protect immigrant New Yorkers from the terror inflicted on our communities by federal immigration enforcement and to ensure that every New Yorker could live their lives freely without fear,” said Taina Wagnac, senior manager of State and Local Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition. “However, recent evidence proves that NYC Department of Correction officers have chosen to act illegally by colluding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement with severe and harmful repercussions for our immigrant communities, including sowing fear and separating families. This collusion between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement needs to cease immediately. It is time that New York City truly lived up to its promise of being a welcoming city for all who call it home.”
