County Legislators and Advocates Share Details of Now-Postponed Safety and Dignity for All Act for All

In the wake of the shooting of ICU Nurse Alex Pretti by a federal border patrol agent  in Minneapolis, Legislator Beth Davidson (D-Nyack, Clarkstown), Majority Leader Alden Wolfe (D-Ramapo), Deputy Majority Leader Dana Stilley (D-Orangetown), Public Safety Committee Chair Paul Cleary (D-Haverstraw) and Legislator Jesse Malowitz (D-Suffern) urged the County to protect our immigrant neighbors and law-abiding protesters alike as ICE continues to ramp up its activities and a new ICE detention facility has been proposed in Orange County.

The Legislators have introduce legislation, tentatively titled the “Safety and Dignity for All Act,” which, like the bipartisan law passed in Westchester County in 2018, defines what county law enforcement can ask about a person’s citizenship or immigration status and what information the county will share with federal officials, including ICE. The law also states that county agencies’ employees shall not perform the duties of federal immigration authorities and that detainees may not be held without a criminal warrant.

“We have already seen Rockland’s vibrant and diverse communities, including small businesses and nonprofits, impacted by ICE’s presence,” said Legislator Davidson.

 “We’re seeing chronic absenteeism in our schools because students are afraid that they or their parents will be picked up and deported. And after the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, my constituents in every community and of every background are terrified that they too can be harassed or even killed by ICE without consequences. Enough is enough.”

“I trust our Rockland County Sheriff’s Department to keep our communities safe while honoring judicial warrants and following the law,” said Davidson. “We don’t need outsiders without the proper training or skills harassing our neighbors, particularly those who are pursuing a legal pathway to citizenship. That’s why we’re taking action and introducing the Safety and Dignity for All Act.”

“We must protect Rockland residents, including our vibrant immigrant communities who contribute so much to our county,” said Majority Leader Wolfe. “The Safety and Dignity for All Act would strengthen the cooperation and trust we already have between county employees, including law enforcement, and the communities we represent. This law is a solid, actionable step we can and should take without delay.”

“As we see increasing numbers of people—both Rocklanders and visitors from neighboring counties—exercising their constitutional right to protest ICE’s lawless actions, asserting the county’s self-agency in protecting our residents feels more urgent than ever,” added Legislator Stilley. “What we are witnessing from ICE is not about public safety or criminal law enforcement, but civil immigration enforcement without accountability. History reminds us that during the civil rights movement, government power was often used to intimidate communities and suppress lawful dissent under the guise of enforcing the law. We cannot allow that history to repeat itself today.”

“Let me be clear about the process we are following in the legislature. We are not ‘rushing’ anything,” Legislator Cleary said. Cleary confirmed that this was not the first law to have a Public Hearing, and while the bill is postponed, the proposed bill was merely a draft. Cleary stated that the draft was based off of the bill that passed in Westchester in 2018.  “Last I checked Westchester is neither a crime ridden hellscape nor has it been designated a “Sanctuary” by anyone,” said Cleary.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in support of this legislation. It strengthens public protections for everyone without impeding law enforcement from charging and removing criminals,” said Legislator Jesse Malowitz. “If ICE wants to operate in Rockland County, it must do so by properly collaborating with local law enforcement and upholding constitutional protections. This law does just that. It doesn’t turn Rockland into a sanctuary county, it makes Rockland a safer place for everyone to live.”

Westchester County Legislator David Imamura said, 

 “As an attorney who helped draft the Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act, I can say without question that the Safety and Dignity for All Act is legal, complies with federal law, and does not make Rockland a “sanctuary county.”  

These are commonsense, legal steps that protect Rockland residents and ensure that local tax dollars are not used to deport our neighbors.  Westchester’s law has stood the test of time, and so will Rockland’s.” 

“Immigrant families are not a threat to Rockland County, they are its strength,” said Nelcy Garcia DeLeon, Proyecto Faro Board Chair. “They are workers, caregivers, small business owners, and the backbone of our local economy, contributing millions in taxes and labor that keep Rockland and the state running every day. Yet our communities are hurting. Families are living in constant fear. Fear of knock-on-the-door raids, fear of sending their children to school, fear of going to the supermarket, fear of going to work, fear that one ordinary day could end in permanent separation. This is not public safety; it is unchecked power and the trauma it leaves behind. It harms children, destabilizes neighborhoods, and erodes trust in government. Rockland cannot prosper while families are terrorized. Immigrant families deserve protection, dignity, and the right to live without fear.”