ICE Visits Croton Court, Leaves Without Arrest

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — Croton-on-Hudson village officials notified residents Wednesday about a visit from the Department of Homeland Security. In a statement, officials said:

This morning, officers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified themselves to the Croton Police Department. They were looking for a specific individual, who had been previously arrested by another agency, and was due in Village Court today. The DHS officers had not been alerted by the Croton Police Department. The DHS officers left prior to taking anyone into custody.

The Croton-on-Hudson Police Department has an official policy on the issue:

• Croton police do not inquire about a person’s immigration status, unless the status is important to a criminal investigation.
• As municipal police officers, they are not authorized to detain or arrest a person based on their immigration status alone.
• The Department will cooperate with immigration authorities on detainers where there is a judicial criminal warrant, or cases where there is probable cause that there are criminal offenses involved, including terrorism offenses.
• Department members are not authorized to stop, question, or arrest an individual based on a civil immigration warrant, administrative warrant, or an immigration detainer.
• Persons arrested for a crime are fingerprinted. The arrested person's fingerprints and information are available to both New York State and Federal authorities.

Village officials say on the website: "The Village Board and the Croton Police Department will always be committed to protecting innocent, law abiding residents. The safety and well-being of everyone who lives, works in and visits the Village will always be a priority. Every person in the Village of Croton on Hudson should feel safe stepping forward if they either have witnessed a crime or been victimized themselves."