East Hampton Village will not have its police officers deputized to enforce immigration law, according to a statement issued by Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. on Friday.

“Historically our police department has worked in concert with the Department of Homeland Security—ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]—when and where a specific criminal investigation is ongoing and ICE requests assistance from our police department,” the statement said.

“This has and will continue unabated,” the statement continued, going on to say that even though the federal government had made no formal “overture” to the village to request deputization, and none was expected, “village government will not allow or authorize that our sworn police personnel become federal deputies.

“We are a nation of inclusiveness,” the mayor wrote. “Let this moment clearly define the majesty of what our country and nation stand for.”

Both East Hampton and Southampton town supervisors have said that their police officers would not be deputized to enforce immigration law.

After President Donald Trump implemented stricter immigration policy, promising deportations and beefed-up enforcement, rumors of ICE raids have been circulating on the East End and elsewhere. Hundreds of immigrant residents filled Most Holy Rosary Church in Bridgehampton on Tuesday, February 21, for a forum for immigrants hosted by the Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island.