Deputies at Ulster County Sheriff Office have asked for someone to provide proof of their immigration status only infrequently, so the municipality’s declaration of the city of Kingston to be a ‘sanctuary city’ is unlikely to change department policies, according to Sheriff Paul VanBlarcum.
VanBlarcum noted that during routine calls, his deputies did not ask questions about the immigration status of the general public – although some form of identification may be required, which the majority of undocumented immigrants are able to provide. Egidio Tinti, the Police Chief of Kingston, who also affirmed that the declaration of Kingston as a sanctuary city would have little impact on their policies, echoed VanBlarcum’s comments.
According to VanBlarcum, there were fewer than 20 instances of deputies requesting immigration papers from members of the general public in the last year. And, if an undocumented immigrant was uncovered in this manner, the Sheriff’s Office would get in touch with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE handles the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and the decision on what to do next would be their responsibility.
VanBlarcum says that such occasions only occur when someone has already been incarcerated. The proposal for Kingston to take on the unofficial status of a sanctuary city was made on 9 December by Mayor Steve Noble, who says that he does not believe enforcing federal immigration laws, or sweeping up undocumented immigrants, is the job of the city.