NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – Lawmakers say New York City’s police and correction departments should not honor immigration detainers unless a federal judge has issued a warrant.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito says she’ll introduce legislation next Tuesday.
The bill also would end the presence of federal immigration officers on Rikers Island.
Mark-Viverito says immigrant families looking for better lives are “needlessly torn apart” because of gaps in the law.
“We have people who federal agents are dropping detainers on. A detainer is basically a process by which someone is being asked to be held beyond the time they normally would. A lot of times it’s to basically start deportation proceedings,” Mark-Viverito told reporters, including WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb.
An immigration detainer informs local law enforcement agencies that Homeland Security intends to assume custody of a person, and requests information to help make that possible.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security and says the process helps it identify and remove criminals.
The legislation is supported by Council Members Danny Dromm, Rafael Espinal and Carlos Menchaca.
