Rochester leaders scuffed local police officers for violating the Sanctuary City policy after responding to requests for backup from Border Patrol agents carrying out traffic stops.
The Border Patrol called for emergency police assistance Monday after an estimated eight people pulled a van inside.
Officers Rochester responded to the scene with lights and sirens, ordering the suspect from the vehicle and assisting in handcuffing him. Local WABC affiliate WAM.
It was not immediately clear why the van was stopped.
But the completely routine police response was enough to raise the rage of Democrat Rochester Mayor Malik Evans, who held a press conference on the incident on Wednesday.
“Officers on the scene have verbally instructed residents to leave the vehicle, which is contrary to our policy,” he said.
“Our policies are transparent. City police officers will not help or participate in federal immigration activities,” he added, noting that he personally directed police chief David Smith to remind all members of the policy.
Smith, who spoke at the press conference, threw an officer under the bus to answer the phone.
“What concerns me when I saw footage from a body camera is that we went to the lights and sirens despite the fact that we were called,” he said.
“The video shows that there is a total lack of urgency for multiple border patrol officers on the scene.”
Smith then continued to warn officers of following standard police procedures.
“We shouldn't handcuff subjects,” he said. “We're not putting up a Pat Frisk with subjects and we're absolutely not going to restrain them or put them in the car.”
Rochester Police Locust Club Union A press release has been issued to defend the actions of executives. And he calls Evans' statement what happened “a complete overreaction.”
“As with law enforcement, which shows that there is an important ongoing situation within the city of Rochester, officers responded under the lights and sirens.
The union said van residents “did not comply with the agent's request to leave the vehicle,” but they ultimately put it “no resistance” when local police officers intervened in help.
“Ground officers did not ask residents about the immigration situation or related documents. No force was used. Once the scene was secured, we ended our involvement in the issue of RPD,” the statement read.
“Today's mayor's statement regarding this incident represents a complete overreaction to what happened (and did not) on Monday. Members of the locust club who responded did nothing wrong, except seeking help from other agencies.”
According to the outlet, the Rochester Sanctuary City resolution was first adopted in 1986 and was reaffirmed in 2017. The Rochester Police Department is prohibited from enforcing federal immigration laws under general order 501.
