Rochester City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to reaffirm its sanctuary city status. The measure states that Rochester police officers won’t be responsible for enforcing immigration law. Authorities no less than the Supreme Court have said that task is the responsibility of federal – not local – governments.
Democratic County Legislator Mark Muoio is now asking County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo and Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn to follow the city’s lead. This afternoon, he circulated a letter among his Democratic and Republican colleagues asking Dinolfo and O’Flynn to make Monroe County a sanctuary county. He’ll send the letter to the two Republicans tomorrow.
Muoio says his main concern is making sure that undocumented immigrants who have been victimized or witness a crime feel safe when they engage with police or court systems.
The sheriff’s office also operates the county jail, which the Rochester police department uses to book and hold suspects its officers have arrested. And that basically puts it in a position to undermine Rochester’s sanctuary efforts.
For example, Rochester officers wouldn’t collect information about a subject’s citizenship or immigration status; federal law doesn’t require them to do so. But jail deputies might when RPD brings someone in for booking, and it could share that information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even though the deputies, too, aren’t required to do so under federal law.
“We’re not interested in violating federal law,” Muoio says.
Ltr – MM to Dinolfo and O’Flynn RE Sanctuary by jmouleatcity on Scribd
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to reflect that Rochester City Council passed the resolution.
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This article appears in Feb 15-21, 2017.
So, as I understand this, if an illegal alien is arrested, you are required to report it to the feds. Sanctuary city status would mean that you DIDN’T report it to the feds. Why in the world would we want to provide protection for someone who first, came here illegally, and now is adding to the police workload?
Anyone who isn’t allowed to be here in the first place, and then commits a crime should be immediately deported permanently.
Mr. Muoio, can we get real and cease with the political correctness nonsense? They’re not merely “undocumented immigrants” as you and your cohorts on the left seem to always describe them, they’re ILLEGAL ALIENS. You express concern for illegals being victimized but what about the victimization of U.S. citizens who pay taxes used for illegal alien welfare payments collected through their children. The average annual welfare amount per illegal alien as of 2016 was $5692. As johnny correctly states in his comment above, they weren’t allowed to be here in the first place. Hello!!
Yes, dispense with political correctness and just stick with Christian values. As the right is so fond to point out, this country was founded on Christian values. So, ask yourself: what would Jesus do?