BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo's Enforcement and Removal Operations leader released a strong statement directed at Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday after making an arrest.
- On November 20, ICE arrested Christopher Alexsandro Dos Santos, 28, of Brazil who is in this country illegally
- He was arrested for strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child downstate in Saratoga County
- The Buffalo ERO said the man is also under investigation in Brazil for several other crimes
Thomas Brophy, ERO Buffalo Field Office Director said this case is an example of how New York State policies are making it tough for his office to do its job.
ERO Buffalo arrested an unlawfully present Brazilian national with a final order of removal. The noncitizen has pending local charges for strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child. He is also under investigation in Brazil for several crimes including homicide. pic.twitter.com/ykesZ2TFL6
— ERO Buffalo (@EROBuffalo) November 22, 2024
"The men and women of ERO will continue to protect our communities from dangerous offenders, regardless of what the governor of New York State says," said Field Office Director Thomas Brophy.
What are these policies?
Local immigration lawyer Rosanna Berardi helped me break down what these policies are.
"New York is not a sanctuary state, but there are certain parts of it like the city, that is, which means local law enforcement doesn't ask people about their immigration status, if they find that someone is out of status, they're not turning them over to the federal government," said Berardi.
She says a lot of this comes down to politics.
"What's going on now is a tension between the state and the feds," said Berardi. "We're spotlighting these immigrants, these migrants. Crimes happen every day, it's sort of irrelevant who's committing them."
Hochul's Response
7 News reached out to Governor Hochul's office for a response and they sent the following statement.
“Governor Hochul always follows the law, which is why our Administration regularly communicates with ICE regarding our northern border and is able to share evidence with immigration authorities if a crime has been committed. Public safety is Governor Hochul’s top priority and she will stop at nothing to keep New York families safe.”
