Immigration | East End Beacon

Members of Southold Town's Public Safety Task Force at a July 29 Town Board meeting.

Southold Establishes a Standing Public Safety Committee

September 9, 2026September 9, 2026 Beth Young

Two weeks after adopting a townwide policy for responding to immigration enforcement actions in Southold, the Southold Town Board established a new permanent committee Tuesday evening charged with examining "the health, safety and welfare concerns associated with federal immigration policy and to examine and adivse the Town Board on "all proposed federal, state and local legislation." Pictured Above: Members of Southold Town's Public Safety Task Force at a July 29

Immigration Recent Southold

Southold Board Adopts Public Safety Resolution

August 25, 2026September 1, 2026 Beth Young

The Southold Town Board unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday evening, Aug. 25 outlining how town police will respond to outside law enforcement agencies acting within the town's boundaries, after a series of chaotic immigration raids on the East End over the course of the past year. The resolution, the first of two discussed at the Town Board's work session that morning, provides an overview for the public of town police's

Immigration Recent Riverhead

Crowd Begs Riverhead to Take Up OLA Law

August 19, 2026August 26, 2026 Beth Young

A crowd of supporters of a local law to guide public safety during immigration enforcement efforts, dressed in black, spoke up at the Riverhead Town Board's Aug. 18 meeting asking the town to enter into conversations with Latino advocacy group OLA of Eastern Long Island. After listening to nearly two hours of public testimony without comment, Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin said it had been a "great meeting with a great

Members of the Southold Town Board discussed proposed safety measures during immigration raids at their Aug. 11 work session.

Immigration Recent Southold

Southold Puts Pieces of Public Safety Project Together, Without Plans for a Law

August 11, 2026August 17, 2026 Beth Young

The Southold Town Board is planning to have a draft resolution outlining police protocols, town board oversight and communications with the public and other agencies during federal immigration raids ready by its Aug. 25 meeting. The board stopped short from considering adopting the measures as a local law — which had been recommended by five members of its Public Safety Task Force convened earlier this spring. Read the Task Force

Immigration Recent Southold

Southold Police Outline Policy for Responding to Immigration Raids, as LaLota Says the Town is Buckling to His Demands

August 4, 2026August 11, 2026 Beth Young

Southold Town Police Chief Steve Grattan outlined the department's proposed policy for responding in a peacemaking capacity to reports of other law enforcement agencies operating within the town at a work session to discuss public safety during immigration raids Tuesday afternoon. The work session came on the heels of a public meeting July 29 at which many residents made impassioned pleas for the town to take action during immigration raids,

Immigration Recent Southold

Southold Airs Concerns About ICE Raids As Police Share Plan to Respond

July 30, 2026August 5, 2026 Beth Young

Update July 31, 2026: The Town Board has scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 4 at 2:30 p.m. to continue this discussion. That meeting will also be held in the basement meeting room at the Town Hall Annex. The town has also recently updated its website to include documents to be discussed — they're available online here: https://www.southoldtownny.gov/2517/Public-Safety-Task-Force Original Story Follows: About 50 residents packed into the basement meeting

Immigration Recent Southold

Views Diverge on Southold Public Safety Law

July 26, 2026August 4, 2026 Beth Young

When the Southold Town Board holds a special meeting July 29 to discuss a proposed local law to guide the town's actions during immigration enforcement actions, there are likely to be many divergent views at the table. According to documents expected to be discussed at Wednesday's 8 a.m. special meeting obtained by The Beacon, Town Attorney Ben Johnson has cautioned that passage of a local law could confuse the public

Congressman Nick LaLota with East Hampton and New York State elected officials at an announcement of the dredging of the Lake Montauk Inlet in February of 2025.

East Hampton Immigration Recent

East Hampton & OLA Push Back on LaLota’s Threat to Withhold Funding over ICE Stance

June 19, 2026July 6, 2026 Beth Young

East Hampton Town, East Hampton Village and OLA pushed back Thursday on Congressman Nick LaLota’s threat to withhold federal money for local projects after the village and town's recent adoption of laws spelling out the responsibilities of local officials during ICE raids. Pictured Above: Congressman Nick LaLota with East Hampton and regional elected officials at an announcement of the dredging of the Lake Montauk Inlet in February of 2025. In a letter

East Hampton Immigration Recent

East Hampton Town Passes OLA Safety Resolution

May 13, 2026May 21, 2026 Beth Young

OLA of Eastern Long Island is celebrating the East Hampton Town Board's passage Tuesday of a Public Safety and Accountability Law, making the town the second East End municipality to adopt the legislation, following East Hampton Village's lead. The law, which codifies the responsibilities of local police during federal immigration enforcement actions, was drafted by former New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., on behalf of Latino advocacy group

Immigration Photos Recent

As New York Mulls ICE Restrictions, OLA Pares Back Public Safety Resolution

March 20, 2026March 29, 2026 Beth Young

OLA of Eastern Long Island has completed a third draft of its proposed Public Safety Resolution, designed to provide a road map for local town and village leaders to handle public safety issues caused by federal immigration enforcement actions on the East End. The new draft makes no reference to impersonation of law enforcement officers or the use of local automatic license plate readers to track vehicles belonging to federal

Immigration Photos Recent Riverhead

New Urgency in Riverhead Effort for OLA Safety Measure

March 1, 2026March 6, 2026 Beth Young

Update March 3, 4 p.m.: Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin said at the Town Board's March 3 meeting that town police have questioned the two students who were approached, and their parents, and were able to locate the operator of the SUV that approached them, and had determined that the "operator was a member of the public," who "informed the children on their own" that ICE was in the area.