ALBANY, NY – New York State Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R,C-Staten Island/Brooklyn) attended a press conference on February 13 alongside Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo (R,C-Sayville), his colleagues in the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences and a retired agent from U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). New York City’s ‘sanctuary city’ status currently prohibits cooperation between the New York City police department and federal immigration authorities such as ICE to be notified if a migrant is arrested. The elected officials are pushing for a proposal that would restore cooperation between local authorities and ICE during the arrest or conviction of illegal migrants and enforce immigration laws.

“Our state has a serious public safety crisis that has been created by the Albany Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies,” said Tannousis. “Our criminal justice system is broken. and we must restore cooperation between local law enforcement and local courts to notify ICE when a migrant has been arrested so they can properly enforce immigration laws rather than releasing the individual back into the public. It is time for New Yorkers to wake up– we cannot allow criminals to roam the streets, posing a risk to our communities. If you commit a crime, you must be held accountable for your actions. You should not be rewarded with free housing, food and accommodations paid for by our tax dollars. The future of our state is at serious risk of a public safety disaster if Albany Democrats do not start holding people accountable for breaking the law. Instead, we are sending a message to the world that anyone can come here through the southern border, take advantage of our tax dollars, and commit crimes without repercussions.”