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To: Ontario County Board of Supervisors

Limit Ontario County resources in immigration enforcement

Request to the Ontario County Board of Supervisors: limit the use of county resources in federal immigration enforcement.

Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Border Protection (CBP) agents have been taking people with no criminal record off their jobs; forcing their way into homes, schools, churches, and hospitals, without judicial warrants or identification and placing thousands of people in warehouses without access to attorneys. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5737388-judge-rules-ice-detainee-rights/

These are not lawful arrests.

Without visible judicial warrants, badges and names, and due process, everyone who encounters ICE and CBP is vulnerable to potential violations of their constitutional rights by these agents. 

That’s why Ontario County officers,  employees and agencies should avoid assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) … to protect community trust, ensure public safety, and avoid legal or financial liability. Such cooperation would deter immigrant residents from reporting crimes or acting as witnesses, and it risks 4th Amendment violations through unjustified detentions.  (Center for American Progress)

Add your name to the petition requesting Ontario County Board of Supervisors pass legislation limiting county officers, employees, and agencies in collaboration with immigration enforcement :

1.  Restrict information, access, or assistance to ICE or CBP;

2. Do not participate in ICE or CBP operations, including interpreting, surveillance, traffic support, perimeter establishment, administrative detainers, or interviews conducted solely for immigration enforcement purposes;

3. Disallow ICE or CBP to use county facilities, databases, equipment, or communication systems for civil immigration enforcement functions;

4. County officers shall not detain any individual solely on the basis of an ICE detainer or administrative warrant, which are not signed by a judge and do not carry the authority of a judicial order.

5. Prohibit use of buildings in Ontario County as detention facilities for people taken by federal immigration authorities.

Why is this important?

Key reasons for limiting cooperation include:
  • Undermining Public Safety: When local police act as immigration agents, it creates fear in immigrant communities, making residents less likely to report crimes, seek help, or cooperate with law enforcement.
  • Legal Liabilities and Constitutional Violations: ICE detainers are not judicial warrants, and holding individuals based on them can violate the 4th Amendment regarding illegal search and seizure. This exposes local jurisdictions to lawsuits.
  • Resource Depletion: Assisting with federal immigration tasks uses local tax dollars, personnel, and jail space, distracting from local public safety priorities.
  • Racial Profiling Risks: Programs like 287(g), which authorize local police to perform immigration duties, have a history of systemic racial profiling, such as incidents reported in Arizona and North Carolina.
  • Reduced Trust: Community trust is essential for effective policing; if immigrants fear that contacting police will result in deportation for themselves or family, they will not cooperate. (ACLU)
  • Local agriculture impact: In agriculture, approximately 41% of workers are undocumented, while 23% hold H-2A visas.

Sign the petition today asking the Ontario County Board of Supervisors limit the use of county resources in federal immigration enforcement.


Updates

2026-05-22 12:28:12 -0400

Last night, May 21, 2026, the Ontario County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution affirming the county's commitment to the rule of law and defining the limits of local law enforcement's involvement in federal immigration enforcement. This achievement follows months of advocacy by citizens across Ontario County. Thank you to all who signed the petition and spoke to your town supervisors!

2026-05-18 23:07:45 -0400

Update: a resolution was discussed by the public safety committee last week and it will be discussed at the county board of supervisors meeting this Thursday night. Please send a message to your town supervisor supporting the resolution or join us at the board meeting. Thank you!!

2026-02-17 20:01:12 -0500

100 signatures reached

2026-02-16 09:24:43 -0500

50 signatures reached

2026-02-15 22:06:20 -0500

25 signatures reached

2026-02-15 16:44:23 -0500

10 signatures reached