MIDDLETOWN, N.Y.—New York state Sen. James Skoufis on May 1 shared his position on the New York for All Act being discussed in state budget negotiations. The bill would prohibit New York law enforcement officials from coordinating with federal immigration agents.
Skoufis, a Democrat, said in a news release that he tries to be nuanced in his policymaking on complex issues such as immigration. He said he separates illegal immigrants into two groups: those who are good neighbors and those who commit serious crimes.
Illegal immigrants who have come into the country unauthorized and have followed the law otherwise should not be facing deportation, Skoufis said.
Many of these people have been in the country for decades and gone unnoticed in their communities, he said; they send their kids to school, go to work, and pay taxes through the federal Individual Taxpayer Identification Number program.
“I’m deeply disturbed when individuals in this category face harsh deportation, especially when parents are separated from their citizen children,” Skoufis said. “I want to do everything I can to protect this category of individuals.”
He said he does believe that New York police should be able to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in some circumstances, saying that criminal illegal immigrants should be expelled from the country. He gave the example of Sebastian Zapeta, a Guatemalan citizen who entered the United States illegally after he was removed in 2018. Zapeta allegedly burned a woman to death on a New York City subway car and watched her die.
“I want individuals like this criminal gone from our state and gone from our country,” Skoufis said. “This is why I deeply oppose certain provisions in New York for All that would prohibit law enforcement coordination in situations like the one described here.”
The act aims to block state and local officers from enforcing federal immigration laws and sharing information with federal immigration authorities. It would also prohibit ICE and Customs and Border Protection from accessing nonpublic state and local property without judicial warrants, and police would not be allowed to collect information about the nationality and immigration status of a person unless legally required, notify ICE of release or court dates, transfer people to ICE custody, or enter a person’s immigration status into a database unless for a public program or benefits, among other requirements.
The act has 31 cosponsors in the state senate, almost half the 63-member house. All cosponsors of the act are Democratic politicians, which make up the majority, with 41 seats.
New York law prevents state officers from disclosing information to immigration authorities for civil immigration enforcement. However, it’s up to local police departments and local laws to decide whether to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed an alternative to the New York for All Act earlier this year called the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act. Hochul’s legislation would function similarly but allow for police to work with ICE to apprehend dangerous criminals.
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