Congressman Nick Langworthy is joined by Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone and County Executive PJ Wendel to discuss Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in WNY (January 28, 2025)
Immigration enforcement agents are in Western New York, including Chautauqua County, carrying out targeted deportations.
Congressman Nick Langworthy held a press briefing after meeting with ICE officials (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Tuesday. He said ICE officials are targeting immigrants who are known criminals and those who are considered threats to national security.
Langworthy said President Donald Trump signed executive orders regarding border control after being sworn in last week, “From moving active duty troops to the border to targeted raids of violent criminals to enhanced vetting for visa applications to reinstating the ‘Remain In Mexico’ policy, this is bold and decisive action. And, we need to get this crisis under control and that’s exactly what President Trump is doing under his leadership.”
Langworthy said the policies are “commonsense that prioritize the safety of American citizens.”
He said any posts on social media that ICE is entering area schools is false, “I asked ICE directly. There’s absolutely been no action at any schools. There’s been no action at any churches or any places of that magnitude. This is on a case by case basis looking for known criminals and people who are threats to national security. If that exists here, that’ll happen here.”
Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker validated that comment, saying that ICE had not tried to access JPS schools and that based on contact with all of the other School Superintendents in the county, they haven’t been visited by immigration or border patrol either.
Whitaker added that under New York State law, law enforcement officials need a judicial subpoena or to have witnessed a crime by a student in order to get access to school buildings,
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“Secondly, FERPA, which is the Family Education Right to Privacy Act, does not allow law enforcement access to student records. So, even if they showed up and asked for records they couldn’t get them unless they had a judicial subpoena. So, a judge would have had to have heard the case and issued very specific subpoena instructions that we would follow.”
Whitaker said that instructions were sent out last week to School Principals, School Resource Officers, and the Red Shirt safety and security team members with all other staff being notified this week about proper procedures when it comes to outside agencies gaining access to school buildings.
Congressman Langworthy also criticized New York’s Green Light Law which permits undocumented immigrants to get a driver’s license.
He said a provision of the law prevents federal immigration agents from being able access that data from the Department of Motor Vehicles, “Federal law enforcement officials, any time they pull someone over, every stop they make, their lives are in danger because they don’t truly know who’s behind the wheel of that car. The law is dangerous and it’s downright idiotic.”
In a statement to City & State News, DMV spokesperson Walter McClure defended the Green Light Law, saying, “Any claim that the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act is worsening border crime is nothing short of a political fear tactic. If opponents of the law have evidence to the contrary, then we strongly encourage them to expose real, proven data that supports their claims.” McClure added that the DMV has never impeded information being sent to federal immigration authorities when presented with a court order or judicial warrant and said that the law has made New York streets safer by keeping unlicensed and uninsured drivers off the road.
Langworthy said House Republicans have sent Governor Kathy Hochul a letter requesting the law be repealed.
He said the House Oversight and Accountability Committee is investigating sanctuary policies in jurisdictions like New York. A hearing will be held February 11 on the issue.
So, how many “known criminals” are out there? And if they are “known” why aren’t they already arrested? This strikes me as nothing more than a political stunt that has very little actual meaning and most likely applies to very few (if any) individuals. But hey, it sounds as if this government is “tough on crime”–what hooey!