The new Democratic majority of the Onondaga County Legislature used the occasion of its first session Tuesday to take a stand against federal immigration overreach. The non-binding resolution instantly created a political divide.
It was mostly business as usual as legislature chair Nicole Watts gaveled in her first session, and lawmakers unanimously approved routine agenda items. That came to a screeching halt when they reached a memorializing resolution opposing the “cruel and inhumane actions of ICE.” Legislator Maurice Brown said resident concerns justify the measure.
“We're in a moment right now in our history that we weren't in five years ago," he said. "Our community is looking for their legislators to stand up and protect them. We get calls from people saying that they’re afraid to go to school."
Newly elected Democrat Gregg Eriksen said he felt obligated to support the resolution after seeing federal agents kill Renee Good in her car and Alex Pretti in the street in broad daylight.
“I am no longer confident that my constituents can physically survive an encounter with federal law enforcement as they are acting in Minnesota," he said. "Our constituents need to be safe.”
ICE has arrested, detained, deported, and also released undocumented immigrants in Syracuse and Central New York. But there have been no reports of protesters interfering with those operations or clashing with agents.
Minority Republicans acknowledged and generally condemned the shootings in Minnesota, family separations, and other misconduct. But Brian May warned the resolution before them was outside their scope, and only serves to divide the chamber and the community.
“The political nature of these resolutions accomplish nothing but long-term hard feelings and distraction from what we're really supposed to be doing here," he said. "The issue we're talking about is a very serious matter. Today, we absolutely will not trivialize it by responding to the political nature of this resolution.”
The resolution passed 9 to 7 along party lines. Democratic legislator Ellen Block was absent.
Others questioned the need for the resolution since for the resolution since the Onondaga County Sheriff and Syracuse Police Departments aren’t helping federal immigration agents. Former GOP legislature chairman Tim Burtis said state lawmakers are also considering legislation to prohibit local police departments from signing cooperation agreements with ICE.
"I'm just not sure why we would need to bring this up," he said. "The new legislation would actually eliminate all 287 (g)'s, which is an agreement with ICE. We do not have one."
But more than a dozen other counties do, including Madison, Niagara, and Nassau to name a few.
