BY: Keith S. Shikowitz, Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter
Democrats in Rockland are rushing to pass a law blocking county workers from cooperating with ICE – as Republican Congressman Mike Lawler blasted the effort as a campaign strategy.
He said that Democrats are trying to exploit the tragedies in Minneapolis by introducing the bill “on a political whim” after saying nothing about immigration enforcement for years.
One constituent agreed with him.
Scott Johnson said, “It’s amazing that these governments are doing this today. When Presidents, Bush and Obama were doing this, no one complained, protested or interfered with ICE doing their job. This has nothing to do with anything but the left wanting to keep these people who are here illegally in this country in order to make them citizens and give them more electoral votes to get power back and keep it in perpetuity.”
The Democrat-run Rockland County legislature is set to introduce an Immigration Protection Act to limit or bar county law enforcement and other workers from cooperating with federal immigration officials after federal agents fatally shot two citizens during protests in Minneapolis.
He went on to say, “These people are crying over murderers, rapists and other violent illegals being deported, but they have not shed a tear or even acknowledged the AMERICAN citizens who these people, who should never have been in this country have killed.”
Rockland County Legislature is considering a similar resolution to the one in the town of Chester. Senator Bill Weber sent out a press release which Denounces “Sanctuary County” Push by Rockland Democrat Leaders.
Recently, primarily since the unfortunate death of Alex Pretti, who a second video shows was not the peaceful nurse that the media has painted him out to be. About a week before he died, (January 13) he was cursing at ICE agents, daring them to assault him, pepper spray him and his next action was to spit on an agent and then kick out the back taillight of their vehicle. The January 13 video also shows him running up to the scene where the ICE agents were inserting himself into the situation.
The Renee Good situation, she had the car going right towards the officer. Her intention was not in question here. HIS perception of the car coming at him was. In the self defense law, the person being attacked has to have a reasonable belief that his/her life is in IMMEDIATE danger of being taken and then can use deadly physical force to repel the attacker. Obviously this officer had that feeling so he reacted.
Something that people on both sides need to keep in mind, we need to allow the investigation into these unfortunate deaths in Minnesota to run their course and if the officers involved acted in violation of the law, then they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. But if they are found to have acted in accordance with the law, then it should be accepted and people need to move on PEACEFULLY!!!
US Rep. Mike Lawler, whose 17th District includes all of Rockland, slammed one of the bill’s architects, Democrat Beth Davidson, who is trying to win the nomination in a party primary with the goal of taking on the incumbent in the November elections.
“Make no mistake, Beth Davidson’s public push to have Rockland County adopt the same radical ‘Sanctuary’ policies for illegal immigrants as New York City or Minneapolis can be summed up in one sentence: Beth Davidson is willing to sacrifice the safety of Rockland County residents for the support of far-left radical Democrats she believes can help her win her congressional primary,” Lawler told The Post.
Something people may not know is that Davidson backed Mondaire Jones in the 2024 election cycle – our former NY 17 representative who did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the constituents of the district. To show his loyalty to the 17th, When the district was redrawn due to the loss of population in NY, instead of trying to win the seat here again, he ran away to Brooklyn to try to win a seat there. He was soundly defeated in the DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY and didn’t even make it to the general election.
If she can back someone who proved he is not loyal to the district…
The when he felt the waters were warm enough in the district to come back and try again, he did. One constituent said, “He needs to make up his mind as to where he wants to serve. He can’t just go to where he feels he might be able to win. How can someone like that be trusted to look out for the best interest of the district? How can we trust someone who would back him on his return to have our best interests at heart? I don’t want to have a Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, or Rachel Morin here in Rockland. We need to get the people here illegally, at minimum, the violent criminals, out of here for the safety of our community. This proposed bill WILL ONLY SERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE CRIMINALS!!!”
This is a picture on Davidson’s FB page – notice that the statement is WHEN DEMOCRATS NEED HIM … not the district… only democrats… he ended up losing in 2024 to incumbent Mike Lawler.
In a July 5, 2023, post which was posted on Davidson’s Facebook page – Jones said, “I’ve never been Washington’s choice. It’s because I stand up to corruption. I battle with Republicans trying to overthrow our democracy and ban abortion, even as I push my party to fight harder for working people. I’m running to finish the work I began—lowering costs, protecting freedoms, defending democracy, and keeping our communities safe. Yet he consistently called for defunding the police and has been called an anti ICE radical. How is this keeping the community safe? For me, this is personal. Watch my launch video, then chip in to join this people-powered movement.”
The title of the bill was attached to the county legislature’s public safety agenda Tuesday night for a future hearing, without an accompanying draft or text of the bill.
County Executive Ed Day, a Republican, said Democrats forwarded a copy of a law using the same name that was approved by the legislature in neighboring Westchester County in 2018.
That law:
- Bars county employees and law enforcement from proactively cooperating with ICE, unless it involves a criminal investigation or criminal activity.
- Bars honoring immigration detainers — absent a judicial warrant — or providing notification of the release of illegal migrants.
- Prohibits telling immigration authorities an individual’s immigration status
Day, a retired NYPD lieutenant commander, said he would veto the bill.
“There’s no way I would support this horrible legislation. It’s reckless,” Day said in a NY Post interview on Thursday.
In a statement to me by email Day said, “It is impossible to evaluate the quality or impacts of legislation that has not even been drafted yet. While Legislator Davidson has said she is willing to work with us and collaborate – she didn’t.”
“Legislator Davidson rushed forward a word for word copy of Westchester County’s law without conversations or input from the Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, my Office, or any local law enforcement – the entities who are not only involved but would be directly impacted by any proposed changes. It’s clear to me that this action is nothing but a move for political optics.” Day continued.
“Public safety decisions require experience, deliberation, and respect for the realities faced by law enforcement. Rushing through legislation that has not been appropriately vetted by experts or reviewed by Legislative Committee is inappropriate at best and outright negligent at worst. That’s not how responsible policy is made and there’s no way I would support it.” He explained.
Rushing legislation through that has not been appropriately vetted and all parties affected being involved in the legislation is how we ended up with the No Bail Law that has wreaked havoc in NYS.
Lon Hofstein, 5th Legislative Representative and the Minority Leader, explained in an EXCLUSIVE interview what was going on with this situation:
“It was a red dot addendum to the Public Safety Committee, which means it was not on the original committee agenda. It was put on the desks of the legislators at the last minute. There was no proposed written local law for this. The only attachment was a 2018 Westchester version.”
“It was just that version that was presented, and they didn’t even bother to change Westchester to Rockland in the wording. Well, I think they were looking to propose a common law, but they didn’t because this was all last minute they didn’t have it written up so they used the Westchester edition from 2018 as the basis for it but they’re asking for a public hearing on a local law that they haven’t even written.”
A simple question that apparently escaped the sponsors (Beth Davidson, Alden Wolf, Dana Stilly Paul Cleary and Jesse Malowitz) of this proposal is, ‘How did you have a public hearing on a law that you hadn’t written and has not been presented to the to the public?’
According to Hofstein basically, right now, there’s no movement on this. It’s just, a pipe dream. It’s supposed to go for a vote on Tuesday to decide to have a public hearing. He doesn’t even think that’s going to move forward.
Again, how did you have a public hearing on a law that hasn’t been written yet for the public to even look at to be able to comment on?
“I would think by the time they had the session for Tuesday, they would have had something for us, but I don’t think this is going to move forward. I could be wrong. I mean that that’s 4 days away. They should have had it before they brought it on session.
If they vote to have this public hearing, Hofstein says it could happen at the next legislative session in about 2 weeks. “Yeah, I would think that they would set it up for the next legislative session because then the week after is a committee session and then I don’t think they would have a public hearing at a committee session but I would think it would be during a legislative session, but I don’t think it’s going to, it doesn’t sound like this is going to move forward.
To any observer this would seem like it is very disorganized.
“It’s extremely disorganized. Yeah, it just doesn’t seem like there’s any meat on the bones here. There’s nothing. We don’t have anything. Still, nothing has been presented to us.” Hofstein stated.
Even if they get a proposal written Hofstein says that the minority is voting no. I don’t think this is ever going to come to fruition. I’m telling you that it can’t move forward, that means certain people from the other side have come with us. I believe there are people that will not vote for this. I don’t think this is going to move forward, but we’ll know for sure Tuesday.” He concluded.
Day added, I want to remind everyone that the County of Rockland has no role in the enforcement actions of federal immigration authorities, nor do we have any knowledge of when this is happening & ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) indicate those being targeted are individuals with charges or convictions.
These operations are conducted solely by federal agencies, and the County does not participate in detaining or deporting individuals.
Ultimately, immigration is a Federal issue and requires a Federal solution.”
“Rockland will not become a sanctuary county under my watch,”!! Day exclaimed.
Lawler said if the legislation were passed it would create additional legal and bureaucratic hurdles for law enforcement while prioritizing “immigration status protections over public safety considerations, tying the hands of police officers and corrections officials.”
Davidson defended the proposed law, which she’s calling the “Our Safety and Dignity for All Act.”
“That’s nonsense and Mike Lawler knows it,” Davidson said. “He likes to write strongly worded op-eds and letters, I prefer action. Our Safety and Dignity for All Act will protect all Rockland residents from Trump’s rogue ICE agents while complying with judicial warrants and following the law.”
Her office said under the legislation, no one involved in criminal conduct will be shielded from accountability or deportation, and the county will comply with judicial warrants and follow the law.
She confirmed the bill being drafted is based off of Westchester’s “Immigrant Protection Act,” and noted that Westchester is not included in the Trump administration’s list of “Sanctuary Counties.”
Jay Hood, the Head of the County Legislature, had no immediate comment.