The federal Department of Homeland Security has removed a list of “sanctuary jurisdictions” from its website, which identified those it said violated federal immigration laws and included counties and cities in the mid-Hudson Valley.
Homeland Security said the listed jurisdictions are “deliberately and shamefully” obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws in the list that appeared on the website May 30, and endangering American communities as a result.
The department added that sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and also put law enforcement officers in peril.
Homeland Security said each jurisdiction would receive formal notice of its noncompliance with federal statutes, and will be directed to review and revise their policies to align with federal immigration laws.
As of June 2, the list is no longer posted on Homeland Security’s website.
Mid-Hudson counties say their inclusion on list was ‘incorrect’
In a joint statement May 30, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger and Kingston Mayor Steve Noble said their jurisdictions were unjustifiably included in the list.
“We want to assure our residents that Ulster County and the City of Kingston are fully compliant with all federal laws, and any claim to the contrary is incorrect,” they said.
“We have not received any official communication from the federal government regarding the reason our county and city and neighboring counties and cities appear on this list,” their statement continued. “Our commitment to public safety remains unwavering, as is our commitment to upholding the United States Constitution and the rights enshrined in it.”
RoseMarie Savaglio, executive assistant to Sullivan County Manager Joshua Potosek, said, “The County of Sullivan believes that this is an error, and we are looking into it.”
“Orange County, along with a number of other counties, was wrongfully added to this list,” Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said in a statement released by his office. “We believe that this is going to be corrected in the near future. Orange County, as well as counties like Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland, are not sanctuary counties.”
“I have been in touch with my fellow county executives, as well as our New York State Association of Counties, and we are going to get this rectified,” Neuhaus continued. “We believe it’s the federal government that made the incorrect identification.”
“Dutchess County should not appear on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) sanctuary jurisdiction list,” Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said in a statement. “It is unclear how this list was developed, as DHS has not contacted us with any concerns, and the Dutchess County Legislature has never adopted any resolution relating to sanctuary jurisdiction. We have reached out to our federal representatives for further clarity as well as assistance in removing Dutchess County from this list.”
The list included Ulster, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan counties, as well as the cities of Kingston, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Beacon.
The “cities” list also included New Paltz, which is not a city. There is a village of New Paltz, and a surrounding town that shares the same name. It could not be determined from the previously published list which one Homeland Security meant to include.
New Paltz Village Mayor Tim Rogers imagines they meant both the village and town. He said the town and village boards previously designated their respective communities as a sanctuary city.
The cities of Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Beacon, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Hudson Valley counties say they should not have been on sanctuary jurisdictions list
Reporting by Mike Randall, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
