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East Hampton Town Unanimously Bars ICE Civil Enforcement Cooperation, Expanding East End Immigration Protections
New law blocks police partnerships with federal civil immigration enforcement as OLA of Eastern Long Island pushes broader East End action
East Hampton Town Takes Historic Vote
East Hampton Town has unanimously approved legislation barring its police department from cooperating with federal civil immigration enforcement, becoming the second East End municipality to adopt the measure after East Hampton Village passed similar protections last month.
The Town Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to approve the law, which prohibits East Hampton Town police from assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in civil immigration actions or entering into federal 287(g) agreements with the Department of Homeland Security — partnerships that deputize local officers to assist ICE with immigration enforcement.
The law does not prevent cooperation in criminal investigations or when officers are presented with a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Town officials said the measure is designed to strengthen public safety by reinforcing trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities, many of whom advocates say have grown increasingly fearful amid heightened federal immigration enforcement activity across Long Island.
According to U.S. Census estimates, roughly 27% of East Hampton Town residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, while about 23% are foreign-born.
Burke-Gonzalez: “You Belong Here”
Before Tuesday’s vote, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez delivered a direct message to immigrant residents.
“The Latino and immigrant neighbors are part of the fabric of East Hampton,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “I want them to hear this clearly: You are not alone and you belong here. You should not have to choose between your health and your fear.”
“Local government cannot take away every fear, but we can listen. We can show up, we can make sure people know they matter, and we can do everything in our power to make sure every resident feels seen, heard and protected.”
What the New Law Requires
The legislation also requires police officers to verify identification from federal agents conducting immigration operations — a response to community concerns about potential impersonators — and mandates reporting of immigration enforcement actions to town officials if local police are called to respond.
It also establishes a task force to monitor immigration enforcement concerns and community impact.
OLA’s Growing Influence Across the East End
The law is modeled after the Public Safety and Accountability framework developed by OLA of Eastern Long Island, the East Hampton-based Latino advocacy organization that has spent months urging East End municipalities to formally separate local policing from federal civil immigration enforcement.
Led by Executive Director Minerva Perez, OLA has become one of the East End’s strongest Latino advocacy voices, pushing for legal protections they say are essential to preserving public trust and community stability.
“This means our town and our town police have committed to being a presence in the event that actions are causing panic and chaos,” Perez said after Tuesday’s vote.
“They’ve committed to responding, assessing, reporting back — and that commitment reinforces the public safety work police are already doing.”
OLA has advocated for all East End municipalities with police departments to adopt the proposal, though so far only East Hampton Town and East Hampton Village have acted. Southold Town created a task force earlier this year to review similar legislation.
Federal Pushback Builds
The move comes as New York lawmakers consider statewide legislation banning municipalities from entering 287(g) agreements altogether.
Federal officials have sharply criticized those efforts, with Trump border czar Tom Homan previously warning he would “flood the zone” with immigration agents if New York enacted broader restrictions.
In a statement to Newsday, an ICE spokesperson defended cooperation agreements, saying the agency has seen “tremendous success” working alongside local law enforcement.
“Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country,” the statement said.
The spokesperson added that limiting local cooperation forces ICE to increase its direct presence in communities.
East Hampton Village Set the East End Precedent
East Hampton Village became the first East End municipality to adopt the policy on April 22, approving its version in a unanimous 5-0 vote.
Mayor Jerry Larsen said the legislation formalized what had long been the village’s policing philosophy.
“It just reinforces what our municipality has always done,” Larsen said. “If the Hispanic community doesn’t trust local police, it could cause all kinds of other problems within our community.”
The village law includes an additional provision prohibiting police from sharing license plate reader data for civil immigration enforcement purposes.
At that meeting, Perez praised village officials for taking the lead.
“It means a lot that you’re the first municipality to recognize how important this is,” she said. “Even though it seems like a small thing to other people, it’s not.”
A Message to East End Latino Families
For many East End Latino families, advocates say, the legislation sends a clear message: local law enforcement is focused on public safety — not civil immigration enforcement.
