‘SANCTUARY’ POLICY STAYS
Mayor says city won’t act differently toward undocumented immigrants despite increased federal pressure
“The Kingston Police Department’s primary goal is to protect our community members.” — Mayor Steve Noble
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Mayor Steve Noble says the city’s “sanctuary city” policy will stay in place despite the U.S. Justice Department’s stepped-up pressure on those types of cities by saying they could be legally forced to prove they are cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
Officials sent letters to roughly two dozen jurisdictions threatening to issue subpoenas if they don’t willingly relinquish documents showing they aren’t withholding information about the citizenship or immigration status of people in custody.
Noble said Kingston has not received such a notice.
“I appreciate the guidance and support New York Attorney General (Eric) Schneiderman has provided on this topic and I am confident that the City of Kingston is well within our right to continue our efforts to be a welcoming and inclusive community,” Noble said in an email last week.
The mayor referred to advice from Schneiderman posted on his website in March.
The U.S. Justice Department has repeatedly threatened to deny millions of dollars in important grant money to communities that refuse to comply with a federal statute requiring information-sharing with federal authorities, as part of the Trump administration’s promised crackdown on cities and states that refuse to help enforce U.S. immigration
laws.
In January, 2017, the Common Council adopted a memorializing resolution declaring the city “welcoming and inclusive” toward undocumented immigrants, who won’t be asked for paperwork during first encounters with police.
The resolution passed 5-3.
In August of that same year, the Ulster County Legislature rejected a measure that would have made the county a “sanctuary
county” for undocumented immigrants.
The 14-8 vote was largely along party lines.
Noble said the city and its police department will act as it has for years.
“The Kingston Police Department’s primary goal is to protect our community members,” Nobel said in his email. “Our resolution reaffirming the department’s long-standing policies on this matter has not impeded our officers’ duties in any way.”
Noble said that, no matter what the rhetoric, the city will stick to its resolve.
“While the increasingly negative and dangerous rhetoric about immigration is both deeply concerning and directly in conflict with our nation’s values, I find solace that cities across our nation are upholding those values even when our leaders are not,” Noble said. “We are not alone.”
Noble said his focus is on a host of matters.
“As mayor of a small
city, my focus remains on public safety, infrastructure, housing, transportation, sustainability, access to living wage jobs, and other critical elements of a community’s high quality of life,” Noble said. “It seems that it would be much more productive for our nation’s leadership to assist cities with these issues, rather than threatening us.”