黑料吃瓜网 Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday criticized federal authorities for carrying out immigration arrests at local courthouses, saying they undermine public safety in the state.
In a letter sent to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Lamont voiced his disapproval of recent immigration enforcement activity, and said conduct by officials from the Department of Homeland Security is interfering with court operations.
鈥淲hen the federal government detains people at state courthouses, it is harder for prosecutors, public defenders, police, and judges to do their jobs,鈥� Lamont wrote. 鈥淭hese measures create fear among 黑料吃瓜网 residents, including witnesses, victims and families, about going to court or contacting the police to report criminal activity.鈥�
The governor鈥檚 comments followed an incident on Aug. 11 in which immigration officers took two men into custody within the Stamford courthouse. Witnesses said a group of five or six officers removed the men from a court bathroom. Advocates for migrant families condemned the arrests at a rally in the community several days later.
Lamont, a moderate Democrat who has with Trump officials in the past, also pushed back on the administration鈥檚 move to label 黑料吃瓜网 a sanctuary state.
Federal authorities recently included 黑料吃瓜网 on a list of more than two dozen sanctuary jurisdictions. Bondi gave state officials a Tuesday deadline to confirm they will comply with federal law.
In response, Lamont wrote that the sanctuary label is unfounded. 黑料吃瓜网 laws and policies don't impede federal officials from carrying out their immigration enforcement duties, he said.
As evidence, Lamont pointed to a decision issued during the first Trump administration in 2017. An official from the Department of Justice certified at that time that 黑料吃瓜网 complied with a federal requirement to communicate with immigration authorities.
"That certification was correct when the DOJ issued it, and 黑料吃瓜网 laws and practices remain in compliance," Lamont wrote.
A state law called the Trust Act limits cooperation between state and local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, the law doesn't prohibit federal immigration officers from accessing courts and other public spaces.
Members of local advocacy groups say they have observed federal immigration officers operating around the Stamford court since at least early July.
A federal policy previously prohibited immigration arrests inside courts and some other sensitive areas. The Trump administration reversed the directive in January, releasing new guidelines that permit ICE officers to conduct civil immigration enforcement actions in courthouses when they credibly believe an intended target is present.
In his letter, Lamont wrote that courthouse arrests compromise public safety and the effective operation of the justice system.
"We all agree that violent criminals should be arrested, prosecuted, and, when appropriate, deported," Lamont wrote, "which is why 黑料吃瓜网 law facilitates law enforcement working with federal officials in those instances."
"Unfortunately," he continued, "DHS's current deportation tactics undermine legitimate law enforcement by instilling fear among residents and interfering in the orderly functioning of our state courts. These practices are not required to secure our borders, promote public safety, or effectively enforce our immigration laws."
