ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two Monroe County committees voted to accept more than $160,000 in funding from the state Department of Homeland Security, but not without pushback from some members.
The money comes from New York’s “Operation Stonegarden” program. It gives towns and cities along the northern border — Greece, Webster and Irondequoit — extra funding for border operations, equipment and overtime pay.
The county has participated in the program for 17 years. But some dissenting councilmembers say the current political climate has damaged the county’s relationship with DHS.
“To me, this vote is about trust. In order to accept these funds, you have to trust President Trump and you have to trust Sheriff Baxter. I don’t trust either one of them. … These are not normal times. The times we are in require us to stand up and say that we will not cooperate with these agencies no matter the guardrails, because here’s the thing — there are no guardrails,” Legislator Rachel Barnhart said.
“Participation in a federally funded border security initiative can unintentionally reinforce fears that local law enforcement is connected to immigration enforcement, even when that is not its purpose,” Legislator Santos Cruz said.
Supporters of the funding pointed out that the funding does not require local law enforcement to act in an immigration enforcement capacity.
“This should be a straightforward public safety vote based on facts, not false narratives, manufactured fears or political theater. Monroe County has participated in Operation Stonegarden since 2009. The program helps local law enforcement — including my town, the Greece Police Department — combat terrorism, protect critical infrastructure and combat drug, weapons and human trafficking. As the sheriff’s office has made clear countless times, accepting this grant does not turn Monroe County deputies into ICE agents. It does not authorize them to enforce federal immigration law, grant them federal powers or require them to check immigration status,” Legislator Sean McCabe said.
The final decision on the grant now goes to the Monroe County Legislature. Their next meeting is set for Aug. 11.
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