Tonight, the Westchester County Board of Legislators passed legislation that grants the County Attorney authorization to explore legal actions in response to the erroneous inclusion of Westchester County on a “sanctuary municipalities” list that threatens the county's federal funding.

Chairman Vedat Gashi (D- New Castle, Ossining, Somers, Yorktown) said, “We follow the law, not political theater. While Washington plays games with made-up lists, we're taking urgent action to protect our residents from losing millions in federal funding they deserve.”

Westchester County's Immigrant Protection Act specifically states that it does not prevent county agencies, law enforcement, or employees from complying with federal immigration communication requirements under 8 U.S.C. § 1373. The act explicitly authorizes county law enforcement to communicate with federal authorities on investigations of non-immigration-related crimes and does not create sanctuary for anyone involved in criminal conduct.

Watch the full meeting HERE.