Astorino Vetoes Westchester County Immigration Bill

WHITE PLAINS, NY - Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's office announced Wednesday that he has vetoed the Immigration Protection Act, which it derided as a "Sanctuary County Law."

In a press release, Astorino was quoted as saying that the proposed legislation “endangers public safety, violates federal law, infringes upon long-established principles of law enforcement cooperation and jeopardizes millions in federal public safety grants.”

The bill was approved on Aug. 7 by a 10-5 vote by the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Patch previously reported.

Supporters of the bill, which would make certain details for individuals confidential, including for undocumented immigrants, argued that it would encourage immigrants to report crimes, Patch reported earlier this month.

Astorino's office included statements from local law-enforcement officials in opposition to the bill.

“Anything that inhibits our ability to work with federal law enforcement partners like the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies is a bad and reckless idea," Westchester County Police Commissioner George Longworth said in the press release.

In an accompanying statement, Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association President Sgt. Hector Lopez said that the bill would place “handcuffs on our law enforcement officers, not the criminals” and added that it would wind up help undocumented immigrants involved in criminal behaviors, such as the MS-13 gang.

The release noted that County Attorney Robert Meehan issued a legal opionion on the bill, arguing that it would establish Westchester as a sanctuary county and place roughly $13 million in federal funds that it receives at risk.

In seeking to provide a different legal framework to address concerns brought in favor of the vetoed bill, the release adds that the county executive "is working on an Executive Order that will assuage the anxiety of many in the undocumented immigrant community that they cannot report crimes or seek medical assistance for fear that they will be deported."

In a statement, Board of Legislators Chairman Mike Kaplowitz blasted Astorino's veto.

“The County Executive’s veto of the recently passed Immigration Protection Act is ill advised, wrong and insensitive to the most vulnerable in our society. It endangers public safety by discouraging certain individuals from reporting gang behavior and other criminality to law enforcement."

Kaplowitz added that Astorino's press conference in connection with the veto "displays a serious tone-deafness delivered in the shadow of President Trump’s inexplicable, anti-American and shocking embrace of neo Nazi’s and white supremacists.”

In a joint press release, officials from various groups who supported the bill condemned Astorino's veto.

"County Executive Rob Astorino has mischaracterized this legislation as a sanctuary law and has vetoed it. We are disappointed that he has chosen to willfully disregard the voice of the majority of legislators and by extension, their constituents who support this bill. This legislation is necessary to assist local law enforcement and protect public safety. It also prohibits the county from redirecting its limited resources to federal immigration priorities. With this legislation our county is moving in the right direction. The county executive has sacrificed progress in the name of partisan politics," Neighbors Link Executive Director Carola Bracco said.

"We are disappointed by County Executive Robert Astorino's decision to veto the Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act. In a time when we need our local leaders to counter the fear the Trump administration is sowing in our communities, Astorino has refused to stand up for Westchester residents," Westchester Hispanic Coalition Supervising Attorney Jessica Young said. "This Act encourages all crime victims and witnesses to come forward to make our communities safer and stronger. We now urge our elected legislators on both sides of the aisle to come together and override Astorino's veto."

Photo: An image provided by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino's office, shows him vetoing the Immigration Protection Act.