New York State Sheriffs’ Association, Inc. 27 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12207 Phone: 518-434-9091 Fax: S18-434-9093, E-mail: sheriff@aysheriffs. org Peter R. Kehoe, Exceutive Director ‘Thomas A. Mitchell, Counsel February 13, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo Executive Chamber State Capitol ‘Albany, New York 12207 Semate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins 188 State Street Room 907 Legislative Office Building Albany, New York 12247 ‘Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie Legislative Office Building, Room 932 ‘Albany, New York 12248, Dear Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewar-Cousins and Speaker Heastie: While many of our members were opposed to the provisions ofthe recently effective Green Light Law which granted undocumented immigrants special access to New York State drivers’ licenses, our organization did not strongly cppose those provisions because we recognized that that was more of public policy issue within ‘your purview, than a law enforcement issue within ous. However, the provision ofthat law which efectively denies federal immigration officials access to State Department ‘of Motor Vehicle records IS a law enforcement issue, and one about which we feel ‘compelled t express our opposition and deep concern, ‘As part of our Constitutional obligation to preserve the peace ani protec the public, New York Sheriffs have along history of cooperating with all of our federal partne', including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agencies primarily charged with protecting our cit zens" safety ‘through enforcement of our Naton’s immigration laws. Our inability, der the new law, to share DMV data with federal immigration officers jeopardizes the safety of those officers. We find it offensive that, in order to avail our own Deputies of DMV data that they need for ther ovm safe operations, we were coerced into signing & non- disclosure agreement which jeopardizes the safety of our federal partners We strongly urge you to reconsider this unwise attempt to hamper in the Aischarge oftheir duties the dedicated public servants who have been giver the duty of protecting all Americans by enforcing the duly enacted laws of this county. You mayAisagree with those laws, and there ere proper ways for you to express that disagreement. Obstructing federal officials in the enforcement of federal law is nat one of them. (Our Association would welcome an opportunity to have dialogue with you on this important subject. Respectfully, art President Executive Committee Chait