East Hampton Town Board Unanimously Backs ICE Accountability Law to Counter Federal Overreach

East Hampton Town became the latest Long Island municipality to push back against federal immigration enforcement this week, voting unanimously to advance legislation that would fundamentally reshape how local police interact with ICE agents during raids.

The law, drafted by OLA of Eastern Long Island and presented to the Town Board on Tuesday, does three critical things: it establishes mandatory reporting procedures for any ICE activity that local officers become aware of, it explicitly bans the town from entering into 287(g) agreements that would turn local cops into immigration enforcers, and it gives police the authority to demand identification from anyone claiming to be a federal agent.

That last provision matters more than it might sound. ICE agents frequently operate in masks and unmarked vehicles, making it nearly impossible for residents or local police to verify their identity. The result has been a wave of impersonation scams and confusion about who has legal authority to detain people.

"You can't get a beach permit without showing identity, let alone arresting people," Councilwoman Cate Rogers said during Tuesday's work session.

The law also creates a task force that will make recommendations to the Town Board, which must respond within 30 days. And it establishes a clear chain of command for information flow: Town Police must notify the supervisor of any ICE activity, who then shares that information with the Town Board and the task force in real time. All of this becomes publicly accessible.

Town Attorney Jake Turner emphasized that the law is grounded in the New York State Constitution, which delegates policing power to local forces, not federal agencies. "What we are saying is our PD will not do that, cannot do that, pursuant to this local law," Turner said, referring to the 287(g) ban.

The 287(g) provision is significant. These agreements, authorized under a 1996 immigration law, allow ICE to deputize local police as immigration enforcers. They have been widely criticized for racial profiling and for draining local resources into federal deportation operations. East Hampton's version of the law explicitly blocks any such partnership.

OLA had originally removed the 287(g) ban from its model legislation after hearing concerns from some municipalities that it could complicate passage. But East Hampton officials put it back in, along with East Hampton Village, which moved the law forward last month and scheduled a public hearing for April.

Town officials made clear that the law is not about changing current police practices but about codifying and formalizing what is already happening. The difference is transparency and accountability.

"It's emotional to talk about this when you see how people are impacted, how they're hiding, how they're besieged by cruelty and inhumanity, and how contrary to our constitution any of this activity is," Rogers said. "I'm happy to sit here and take this stand."

Councilman Tom Flight, who serves as liaison to the town's Anti-Bias Task Force, connected the law to broader failures in federal immigration policy. "We have a fundamental issue in the country with our immigration policy," Flight said. "There's no way people should be living in fear the way they are now based on their ethnicity - that's what's happening and that's what needs to be addressed."

The law is scheduled for a public hearing on May 7. If passed, it would remain in effect until July 2029, giving officials time to assess its impact and adjust as needed.

OLA leaders have been making the rounds at East End town and village board meetings for months, pushing for adoption of the accountability measures. The effort reflects growing alarm among immigrant communities and their advocates about the Trump administration's deportation apparatus, which has ramped up enforcement actions across the country with little regard for due process or local concerns.

East Hampton's move is part of a broader wave of resistance from local governments that are refusing to become extensions of federal immigration enforcement. State officials are also working on their own versions of ICE legislation, and Town Attorney Turner said officials will monitor that process to see if state action makes the local 287(g) ban redundant.

For now, East Hampton Town has drawn a clear line: local police work for the community, not for ICE.