Residents urge Steuben County Legislature to rescind 287(g) agreements with ICE

Scores of residents used the meeting’s public comment period to urge the Steuben County Legislature to rescind the county’s 287(g) agreements and other contracts with federal immigration authorities.

"I urge you to please rescind all 287(g) agreements with ICE before it's too late," Linda Chiles said during public comment, summarizing concerns that local law enforcement could become subordinate to ICE and that such partnerships carry legal and moral risks for the county.

Other speakers recounted alleged detainee harms and cited guidance from the New York State attorney general. Karen Whelan told the legislature she opposed both the 287(g) agreement and a U.S. Marshals contract, saying such arrangements "could have legal repercussions for Steuben County and the Steuben County Sheriff's Office." Paul Wallen urged termination of the agreement, calling it an open-ended liability for county taxpayers and raising the prospect that local resources would be diverted to federal enforcement duties.

Several commenters pressed elected officials on the scale and cost of participation and the potential chilling effect on crime reporting by immigrant victims. John Brown estimated the county’s financial gain from one premium at roughly $21,000 a year in his remarks and described the fiscal trade-offs as negligible compared with the county’s reputation and residents' safety.

The public comment period lasted multiple speakers and concluded with the chair moving on to the scheduled agenda. The transcript records no formal motion or vote during this meeting to rescind existing agreements; public pleas were recorded as input to the legislature.