Pol: Eye impact of N.Y. law on deports

ALBANY — A state senator whose district includes Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty is calling for a hearing on the potential unanticipated effects New York’s criminal laws might have in aiding President Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

Sen. Daniel Squadron (D-Manhattan) asked for the hearing in a letter to Sen. Andrew Lanza, a Staten Island Republican who heads the Senate Codes Committee.

“A hearing on broader impacts of New York’s criminal justice laws on immigration is important to addressing President Trump’s poorly conceived, and often largely unconstitutional, attacks on immigration,” the letter says.

He’s also asking Lanza for a committee vote on two bills. One requires that noncitizen defendants be informed of the immigration implications of a guilty plea in misdemeanor and violation cases. The other decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana and allows judges to order adjournments in contemplation of dismissal for offenses that could lead to deportation.

“I hope you agree that New York’s laws should not unintentionally impact immigration status or naturalization applications,” Squadron wrote.

Saying government’s primary responsibility is public safety, Lanza dismissed Squadron’s call as political grandstanding.

“I’ll take a look at anything he has to offer, but my responsibility is to make sure we have laws on the books that protect our neighbors — and not to play political games,” Lanza said.