One of the first executive orders of the new Trump administration rescinded Biden administration policies that forbid Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from conducting raids in “sensitive areas” such as schools and places of worship. With this dramatic policy change, local school officials and religious leaders are banding together in a call to protect the immigrant community.
Adam Fine, superintendent of the East Hampton School District, sent a message out to all parents in the district last week highlighting the importance of students’ emotional well-being. “Safe to learn, safe to try new things, safe to explore,” Mr. Fine said in the message.
“We get that safety from our diversity, our shared and individual experiences and our commitment to the many supports our students have here, from academic enrichment to our multitude of mental health resources,” Mr. Fine continued. “There is a lot of uncertainty and anxiety streaming through our community.”
Mr. Fine also referenced guidelines from Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Betty Rosa, the state’s commissioner of education, clarifying and standing by the safeguarding of the rights of immigrant students.
“In light of recent threats of increased federal immigration actions in our communities,” the statement read, “we write to reaffirm that schools should remain a safe haven where all students are welcomed and provided a free public education.”
According to the statement, the Education Department will continue its “longstanding position that law enforcement officers may not remove a student from school property or interrogate a student without the consent of the student’s parent or person in parental relation,” with the exception of “limited circumstances.”
Those circumstances require a judicial warrant or an order authorizing an arrest. If a school should be presented with such documents, the statement also gives guidelines on how school officials should respond, starting with not allowing the officers inside school property or giving them direct access to a student. The documents should be provided to the superintendent and the school district attorney, and schools are advised to “immediately notify the student’s parent or guardian.”
“We as educators will take our cues from our students to ensure that they are getting the education and support they need,” Mr. Fine said, concluding his email, “As always we will put our students first in everything we do.”
With places of worship also now open for potential raids, Father Ryan Creamer of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in East Hampton, said Tuesday morning that as of now the church, which has a sizeable Spanish-speaking immigrant population and holds Masses in English and Spanish, is on a “wait and see approach.”
The Rev. Jon Rodriguez of the East Hampton Presbyterian Church, said Monday night that while he is looking to his denomination to provide guidance from the legal side, there is movement within the local clergy community.
“We have a local clergy meeting along with local community members in February under the guidance of Minerva Perez” of Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island), he said, adding that he is, “hoping that law enforcement officials show up as well so that the dialogue can begin on as equal footing as it can.”
The Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre “hopes that the sanctity of churches as places where all peoples feel safe to come and be fed in their spiritual and physical needs will continue to be respected,” a spokesperson said by email Monday. “In addition to offering worship and sacraments, our parishes often provide food to anyone who is poor, regardless of their religion or any other circumstances.”
While no explicit orders concerning local law enforcement have been handed down. Emil Bove, the acting United States deputy attorney general, issued a written statement while on the ground during raids in Chicago over the weekend. “We will support everyone at the federal, state, and local levels who joins this critical mission to take back our communities,” he said. “We will use all available tools to address obstruction and other unlawful impediments to our efforts to protect the homeland.”
As for local law enforcement, East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said in an email that there is “no means for local law enforcement to determine anyone’s citizenship status, nor are we allowed to inquire as to their status.”
He added that currently, New York State law does not allow local police to hold individuals in custody on an ICE detainer, unless there is a warrant signed by a federal judge.
“If you make a report, are the victim of a crime or involved in an incident, there is no means for a local police department to access your status and in turn no means to share your information with any federal agency,” the chief said. “We want to ensure victims of crime are secure in coming forward, and make it clear we are not inquiring as to anyone’s citizenship status.”
However, Chief Sarlo also stressed the department’s duty to cooperate with federal and state agencies. In the past, ICE has lawfully apprehended individuals in the area, and the chief added that that will likely continue. Beyond that, the department has not had any further “guidance” from federal agencies, nor received information on ICE activity here.
To foster a dialogue and clarify the role of law enforcement, Chief Sarlo has been meeting with local advocacy groups.
Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA, echoing Mr. Fine, mentioned the importance of taking care of young people during these turbulent times. She stressed the need for greater community action around these policy changes.
“We need to come up to the line of what we can do lawfully,” she said Tuesday evening. “That is the line we need to be on, not all the way back taking a safe position.”
“We need to lean on what we can do, not what we can’t do,” she added.
With Reporting by Jack Motz
