Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy slams NY's 'Green Light Law'
Washington County, New York Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy told 'Fox & Friends: Weekend' that the state's 'Green Light Law' prevents law enforcement from getting information pertinent to serious cases.
New York state's controversial Green Light Law prevents federal law enforcement agencies from doing their job, Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said Saturday.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends: Weekend" with host Griff Jenkins, the New York Sheriff's Association president likened the policy to new bail reform laws which also limit access to Department of Motor Vehicles records.
He argued that illegal and undocumented immigrants in the country can provide up to 600 different types of documentation to obtain a driver's license.
"So, it also puts the onus on motor vehicle clerks across the state to try to verify these documents when -- oftentimes -- and especially in this day and age with technology, fraudulent documentation is very easy to obtain."
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The Green Light Law allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in New York, while prohibiting DMV agencies across the state from sharing criminal records with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The law, implemented in December, has drawn major criticism from Republicans and the Trump administration. In a decisive retaliatory action, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that it would bar tens of thousands of New Yorkers from enrolling in Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) that allow travelers to speed through airport lines and borders.
The association of New York police chiefs is backing the administration’s pushback on the law.
In a letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state politicians, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association expressed its “opposition and deep concern” about the recently passed law.
In a separate letter, the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police thanked Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf for notifying leaders of recent actions taken by DHS in response to the Green Light Law. He emphasized the importance of sharing information with law enforcement.
New York State Association ... by Adam Shaw on Scribd
“Our members fully recognize that sharing pertinent law enforcement information and vital resources across local, state and federal boundaries is critical to ensuring the safety of the communities we serve,” the letter said.
“It is our hope that reasonableness will prevail by all involved and that an appropriate resolution can be attained,” it continued. “What’s ultimately required is an operational and administrative process that prioritizes public safety for all New Yorkers and serves as its fundamental cornerstone."
"You know, those federal agencies that are banned from accessing these records are not only tasked with enforcing immigration laws, they also handle very serious crimes like narcotics trafficking, human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, terrorism -- cases like that," Murphy pointed out.
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"And, when you're talking about cases of terrorism or cases of child sexual exploitation, you know, federal authorities certainly should have that information at hand," Murphy concluded.
Fox News' Adam Shaw, Ronn Blitzer, and Gregg Re contributed to this report.