by Southold Town Councilman Greg Doroski
As a Police Commissioner for the Town of Southold, I want to address the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation that took place in Greenport Village on Saturday, July 26. What we’ve learned so far presents both encouraging and troubling elements that the public deserves to understand.
On the positive side, it appears the primary individual apprehended by ICE had a final deportation order issued by a judge. Additionally, ICE agents conducted the operation without wearing masks, which provides a degree of transparency and accountability while operating in our community. These two elements are an important part of lawful and just immigration enforcement.
It was also encouraging to witness the comfort the community felt calling our local police department as word of the operation spread. This reflects years of successful relationship-building, and speaks to the strength of our community and the mutual trust and respect between our local police and the public.
However, there are also serious concerns. Reports indicate that ICE detained a second individual who did not have a warrant or pending deportation order. This raises fundamental questions about due process and the protection of individual rights. As immigration enforcement increases across the country, we are seeing more and more individuals without any criminal history caught up in these operations and then removed into a growing shadowy Federal detention system. This is deeply troubling.
Let me be clear: we all support the removal of violent offenders from our communities. But that mission must never come at the expense of constitutional protections, public trust, or the rule of law.
What’s particularly concerning about this recent operation is that we still do not have clarity on the identity or current status of the second individual reportedly taken into custody. If local law enforcement is unaware of who has been detained, how can we adequately respond to a missing persons report? This lack of communication presents a serious gap in our ability to serve and protect the public.
To this end, I will be working to formally request that ICE provide a detailed written report identifying any and all individuals apprehended during operations in our jurisdiction.
Local officials have a duty to ensure the safety, rights, and fair treatment of every member of our community. That responsibility extends to making sure any outside agency operating in our Town respects both the rule of law and the Constitution we are all sworn to uphold.
It also extends to urging our federal elected officials to finally show the courage needed to fix our deeply broken immigration system. A fair and orderly system – one that reflects the promise of the American Dream – benefits everyone. The current system, defined by chaos and cruelty, is not only dangerous, it’s un-American. Their continued inaction at the federal level is yet another example of how national dysfunction forces local governments and police departments, schools, nonprofits, faith groups and everyday citizens to deal with the mess.
Editor’s Note: Mr. Doroski, a Southold Town Councilman, is this fall’s Democratic candidate for the Suffolk County Legislature’s First Legislative District.
