At the end of 2018, The Troy City Council considered a resolution affirming Troy as a Sanctuary City. Around 200 people showed up to a Public Safety Committee Meeting and a full City Council meeting to demonstrate and speak in support of the resolution. While opponents to the resolution had far fewer numbers, they included County Executive Steve Mclaughlin and Troy PBA President Nicolas Laviano. Opponents frequently misstated what the resolution would do, and in the case of the Troy PBA President, objected not only to the resolution, but to the entire concept of elected oversight of the police.



Despite the overwhelming public support, the resolution was tabled. Since then, numerous community forums and meetings have been held to further inform the public what the resolution means, and what it means to be a Sanctuary community. Support for the resolution has been consistent and growing through this process. It is time for the City Council to take up this resolution and pass it immediately. Sign this petition calling for Mayor Patrick Madden and Councilmember TJ Kennedy to do the right thing and pass this resolution!



Frequently Asked Questions about Sanctuary City

What does it mean to be a Sanctuary City? Being a Sanctuary City means local law enforcement and Troy municipal employees do not ask people about immigration status when it is not relevant. Checking someone’s citizenship status is left to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency charged with enforcing those laws.

How will this change things in Troy? The Troy Police Department has already said they currently do not question residents about their immigration status, so this would not change their policy, just formalize it. New York State agencies also already follow these practices, so we’d be bringing Troy in line with them. So for most people this does not change anything but, for our immigrant neighbors, it can mean a lot: it means being able to access City services without fear of being interrogated about immigration status or turned over to ICE. It means that undocumented people can report crimes and participate in police investigations, vaccinate their children, and be productive members of our community without fear of deportation.

Does this mean ICE will be banned from Troy? No. For better or worse, ICE has legal authority to conduct operations anywhere in the country, regardless of sanctuary status. Being a sanctuary city does not impact what ICE does: it impacts what Troy government and police do, and makes clear that we won’t use our resources to do ICE’s job for them.

How will this impact crime in Troy? While there are a lot of factors that go into the prevalence of crime in any given city, there are strong indicators that sanctuary status will reduce crime. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, “State and local law enforcement should not be involved in civic immigration laws, since such involvement would likely have a chilling effect on both legal and illegal aliens reporting criminal activity or assisting police in criminal investigations.” Professor Tom Wong from the University of California, San Diego has compared homicide rates in different regions of the country and found that “Sanctuary areas typically experience lower homicides than comparable non-Sanctuary locals. Overall, about 15% lower.”

What will it cost to make Troy a Sanctuary City? It does not cost anything to pass the Sanctuary City resolution because it only formalizes what city employees and law enforcement are already doing. Passing this resolution may, in fact, help the city and county avoid costly overtime and lawsuits.

How will passing the Sanctuary City Resolution help the city and county avoid costly overtime and lawsuits? One year ago Rensselaer County Sheriff Patrick Russo became the first and remains the only New York Sheriff to sign up for the 287(g) program. This program allows county corrections officers to perform the functions of ICE. While the 287(g) program does offer federal funds to do ICE’s work, it rarely covers all costs. Jurisdictions that have signed up for this program have suffered millions of dollars of overtime doing the work of the federal government and are often sued by people found by courts to be illegally detained. Harris County, Texas faced over a million dollars in overtime costs that the federal government refused to pay. The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute found that the 287(g) program cost Gwinnett County at least $9.8 million from 2009 through 2016. ICE can make errors in detaining U.S. citizens with similar names of undocumented immigrants or make other detainer requests that open up 287(g) jurisdictions to significant legal liability. The Sanctuary City Resolution will not repeal the county-wide 287(g) program but it does affirm that the City of Troy is not participating which can help in shielding the municipality from legal action.

Why do this now? There are many reasons to do this as soon as possible. The 287(g) program is a ticking time bomb of expensive litigation and ballooning overtime costs. We will already be penalized at a county level and there is no reason for the city to open themselves up to these costs as well. More important than money, however, is building a welcoming community for all Trojans and counter the climate of fear and anti-immigrant sentiment in the media and in our politics. When we all feel safe, we are better to each other and to our community.

What do other mayors and police chiefs think about Sanctuary Cities? In a joint statement issued by the U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO & Executive Director Tom Cochran and Major Cities Chiefs Association President and Montgomery County, MD Chief of Police J. Thomas Manger wrote, “Local police departments work hard to build and preserve trust with all of the communities they serve, including immigrant communities. Immigrants residing in our cities must be able to trust the police and all of city government.”

How will this impact the federal funding Troy receives? There have been threats from the White House that they will attempt to pull federal funding from law enforcement grants if they declare themselves a Sanctuary City. Such threats, in the rare instances that they are carried out, always fail in court. Not a single city has lost federal funding because of their Sanctuary status. The resolution that the city council is considering conforms to the New York State Attorney General’s recommendations and there is every indication that the AG’s office would come to the aid of the city if they were threatened with losing federal funds.

Does this mean more undocumented immigrants will move to Troy? It’s unlikely: all research on the topic finds that undocumented people tend to move to places for the same reasons that others do, i.e. for jobs or to be near family. Rather, the Sanctuary Resolution seeks to address the needs of our neighbors who live here already.

How will this impact social services and schools? Undocumented immigrants do not qualify for many social services because they lack necessary paperwork to apply for them. And, given that most immigrants move to find work or support family members, they are not seeking many social services anyway. All children, regardless of their or their parents citizenship status, are required to obtain all vaccinations and health check-ups before enrolling in school.

How does this impact me as an employer or landlord? The Sanctuary Resolution only applies to the City of Troy and the Troy Police Department. It does not apply to the behavior of private citizens or impact the legal rights and responsibilities of landlords and employers.