Ithaca, NY – In response to continued federal attacks on Tompkins County law enforcement, Assemblymember Anna Kelles issued the following statement in strong support of Sheriff Derek Osborne and the rule of law:

“Earlier this week, Congressman Jim Jordan had the audacity to attack Tompkins County and our local law enforcement. His remarks were rude and bigoted and they were also factually incorrect.

If the Congressman was actually interested in the truth, he should’ve spoken with Tompkins County leaders. He would have learned that the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office fully complied with the law. ICE was well aware months before his release date that Jesus Romero-Hernandez was in custody for an original charge of damaging a hotel room. ICE could have detained the suspect at any point, but instead they waited until after he had been released making a public display of his arrest. It begs the question: does ICE care about public protection or are they playing politics with people’s lives?

This is not just about Tompkins County. What we are seeing is a coordinated escalation: the federal government is threatening criminal charges against local officials, cutting off funding, and using public investigations to intimidate counties into compliance. These tactics are designed to have a chilling effect across the country, particularly in communities like ours that have chosen not to dedicate local resources to federal deportation efforts.

Tompkins County has made its position clear for years. In 2017, as a county legislator, I authored our ‘Public Safety for All’ resolution, which affirms that local law enforcement should not be conscripted into federal immigration enforcement. Our policies reflect the values of our community protecting public safety while upholding constitutional law and preserving trust between law enforcement and the local residents they serve.

As I have previously stated, the Constitution is clear: under the Tenth Amendment and decades of case law, the federal government cannot compel local and state governments to enforce federal immigration policy. Legal experts across the country, including constitutional scholars and immigration attorneys, have made it unequivocally clear that there is no law requiring local law enforcement to hold individuals for ICE indefinitely for the sole purpose of implementing federal law. It is deeply irresponsible for members of Congress to attack local law enforcement who are lawfully and professionally carrying out their duties. Local governments retain the authority to manage their own resources in accordance with local and state law and the needs of their communities.

Despite being relentlessly talked over and interrupted, Governor Hochul consistently defended New York’s laws and our immigrant community. It’s a shame that Congressman Jordan and his colleagues wasted the day distorting facts, attacking local governments, and targeting immigrant communities to advance their Project 2025 political agenda. This manufactured outrage is part of a broader and deeply troubling effort to vilify immigrants, sow division, and distract from the real issues facing working families: the rising cost of housing, food, healthcare, childcare, and the urgent need to address climate change.

The work of Immigrants in our communities contributes nearly a trillion dollars in taxes annually to our national economy, helping fund the very public services these same federal officials claim to defend and yet are systematically dismantling and defunding. Counter to the fear mongering of our federal government, research consistently shows that communities with high immigrant populations, both documented and undocumented, are consistently safer with lower crime rates. Tearing families apart, destabilizing communities, and using authoritarian propaganda tactics to target entire populations undermines both our democracy and our economy.

Legal precedents have made it clear: states have the right to prioritize the well-being of their residents over the political agenda of the federal administration. At its core, the actions of Sheriff Osborne were about protecting the rule of law, the independence of local government, and the well-being of our communities.”