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NYPD Has Refused All Federal Immigration Detainer Requests This Year

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Kerry Picket Political Reporter
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The New York Police Department has refused all detainer requests from federal immigration officials since Jan. 1.

According to the New York Post, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have asked the NYPD to detain a person or persons 109 times since the beginning of 2017. Larry Byrne, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner on legal matters, said Monday the police department has complied with none of those requests.

“We’ve honored zero of them so far, none,” said Byrne. He added that three of the requests were eligible for aid under the city law offering sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

The law in the New York City enables the NYPD to hold someone for two days while Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents get a warrant.

“In all three of those instances, the person was transferred to the custody of the Department of Corrections before the 48-hour time elapsed,” Byrne said. “So, we honored zero detainers.”

President Donald Trump and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio have clashed on the city’s sanctuary status. The administration plans to withhold federal money from municipalities that defy federal immigration law.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last week that the Justice Department will “take all lawful steps to claw back any funds to a jurisdiction that willingly violates 8 U.S.C. 1373.”

Despite de Blasio’s fight with the federal government, Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association previously stated in late February the members of the union do not support the mayor’s position.

“The Mayor is taking his own position on it, and it seems the police department, and Commissioner O’Neil, and I could be wrong on this, is compliant with the concept that it’s OK to not participate with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement].”

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