Local Democrats call for ICE to deescalate in Minneapolis, send no more officers to New York

A chorus of Long Island and New York public officials is calling for an end to the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, part of a wave of aggressive federal deportation efforts in Democratic-led cities.

The shooting death Saturday of a second person this month, Alex Pretti, 37, and scenes of ongoing tense confrontations in Minneapolis are prompting some to reassess earlier positions. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) issued a personal apology to constituents on Monday.

Last week, Suozzi crossed party lines to help House Republicans pass a spending bill that, in part, funded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and activities.

"I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis," Suozzi said in a statement on Monday. "I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that." Suozzi also sent a letter Monday to constituents explaining his vote.

Senate Democrats, under Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), want to force revisions to their chamber's spending bill to more aggressively rein in ICE tactics — even with the prospect that a stalemate with Republicans on the issue could lead to a partial federal government shutdown by week’s end.

New York's other senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, said she "cannot and will not support further funding of DHS without increased accountability and reform of the agency.”

Local ICE surge?

The ICE surge in Minneapolis follows earlier stepped-up enforcement in Los Angeles; Portland, Oregon; and Chicago — all cities led by Democratic mayors.

For now, there is no signal that President Donald Trump’s "Operation Metro Surge” is headed to New York. Department of Homeland Security officials did not immediately respond Monday to whether there are such plans.

But Schumer’s office notes that Schumer "has called for ICE to get out of Minnesota, and he would strongly oppose them coming to Long Island and New York City. ICE needs to be reined in and reformed, not further deployed to wreak more havoc and threaten public safety."

Gov. Kathy Hochul has been asked multiple times since the Jan. 7 shooting death in Minneapolis of Renee Good, 37, about the potential for Trump to send more ICE agents to New York. She said her repeated message to the president is that doing so would cause chaos in the nation’s financial capital — hurting his own personal business interests as well as those of his allies.

Hochul said she’d "have more to report on further actions the State of New York will be taking in the upcoming days" to hold federal officials accountable.

On Long Island, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) countered in a statement that the prospect of a Long Island ICE surge "is highly unlikely and unnecessary."

"ICE has deported nearly 100 violent illegal immigrants from Long Island without a Minneapolis-like incident because Long Island officials — unlike Minneapolis authorities — cooperate with ICE on intelligence sharing," LaLota said, adding, "Our elected leaders from both sides of the aisle aren’t amping up their rhetoric like [Minnesota officials] have."

Call for Noem's ouster

Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) had on Sunday called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be "impeached immediately." She said there has to be accountability for ICE having "targeted U.S. citizens and children and killed Americans."

"I strongly oppose any escalation or surge of ICE officers in New York," Gillen said in a statement. "The horrific killing of another U.S. citizen at the hands of ICE this weekend made it clear that we need to dramatically change how ICE operates."

Despite her call for Noem’s ouster, Gillen, like Suozzi, was one of just seven Democrats helping Republicans to pass the Homeland Security funding bill in the House.

Long Island’s other Republican House member, Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), finds himself in the middle of the ICE controversies as House Homeland Security Committee chairman.

Some critics have said Garbarino has been too slow to set hearings. But this weekend, he sent letters offering potential dates for officials to appear "at their earliest convenience." Those dates extended to as late as mid-March, nearly two months away.

Garbarino was traveling overseas Monday on a congressional trip.

Asked whether he would support a Minnesota-like ICE force surge in New York, his office released a statement from him saying, "Whether additional federal law enforcement is needed should be determined by the facts and circumstances in each individual situation and location."

Newsday’s Yancey Roy, Bahar Ostadan and Candice Ferrette contributed to this story.