Bridgeport鈥檚 city council may impose new limits on police cooperation with the federal government鈥檚 immigration crackdown efforts by the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Agency (ICE).
The limits could include barring federal access to municipal surveillance cameras, license plate readers and working with vendors cooperating with federal deportation efforts.
Mark Anastasi, a former city attorney and legal consultant, said the council鈥檚 Public Safety and Transportation Committee made exceptions.
鈥淭hey made it very clear that they wanted everything they did to have language that reflected that these would be their directives to city departments, unless otherwise required by state or federal law or unless prohibited by state or federal law,鈥� Anastasi said.
The resolution was passed by the committee on Monday. The city council is expected to vote on the resolution in early November.
It comes months after a series of federal immigration raids throughout 黑料吃瓜网 by ICE agents, led to renewed calls by immigrant rights activists for additional protections to the state鈥檚 undocumented population at the state and local level.
The resolution would have little impact on independent efforts by ICE to detain or arrest people in the city. Much of what the city has proposed is already covered by the state鈥檚 Trust Act, according to previous reporting from 黑料吃瓜网, which limits municipal and state cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Members of , an immigrant advocacy organization, were present at the committee meeting, including Sonia Hernandez, a city resident.
Hernandez said the resolution, which would be subordinate to state and federal laws, acts as a show of support by the city.
鈥淚 think we feel hopeful at least that we are doing something to protect our community,鈥� Hernandez said.
Anastasi said the resolution is a compromise between advocating for undocumented residents and not challenging the authority of the federal government to act in the city.
The resolution was amended after some back and forth over concerns adopting the resolution could put federal grant money for municipal services at risk.
Bridgeport city council member, Ernie Newton, was also at the meeting and said concerns over the resolution were moot since any statement in favor of undocumented people risked federal attention.
鈥淟et's vote on this,鈥� Newton said. 鈥淟et's make sure the language is right. No matter what you do, Bridgeport is going to be targeted.鈥�
