Ortt, Niagara County clerk, WNY Law Enforcement, blast New York's 'dangerous & controversial Green Light Law'

Submitted by the Office of New York State Sen. Rob Ortt

On Friday – joined by members of the Western New York legislative delegation, law enforcement officials, and county clerks – New York State Sen. Rob Ortt blasted New York’s "dangerous Green Light Law," which Ortt’s team said, “hinders law enforcement officers from effectively doing their job. Ortt and officials present vowed that restoring laws that give our law enforcement the tools and resources to rein in illegal migrants will be a top priority this legislative session for them.

“Since becoming a sanctuary state and allowing unvetted illegal immigrants into New York, crime has risen and billions of tax dollars have gone toward housing and feeding individuals from across the world. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation not only allowing these individuals to obtain driver’s licenses, but prohibited federal law enforcement from accessing their information through the DMV database.”

Ortt said, “In a common-sense effort to keep New Yorkers safe, my conference will reintroduce legislation such as Laken’s Law and Green Light Law repealers that uncuffs law enforcement and allows local and federal partners to work together again. This past November, New Yorkers and people across the nation overwhelmingly voted in favor of making America safe again, and it's time we as lawmakers get to work doing so – these bills are just the beginning of those efforts.”

New York State Sen George Borrello said, "The Green Light Law is a dangerous policy that compromises our nation’s security and endangers public safety by shielding DMV records from federal authorities. Paired with the state’s sanctuary policies, it has fueled a flood of illegal immigrants that have overwhelmed state resources and devastated communities over the past three years. As President Trump’s incoming border czar rightly noted, this law is a direct threat to public safety and has to change. Senate Republicans will continue to fight to repeal the Green Light Law and sanctuary policies. We’re relieved that we will finally have allies in Washington who share our resolve to end these disastrous policies."

Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said, “The NYS Green Light Law has severely restricted our ability to work with our federal partners to keep our borders secure. I fully support any legislation that reverses this law and enables us to keep our communities safe. The fact that this law threatens local law enforcement with a felony-level crime for sharing information should raise the eyebrows of our residents.”

Erie County Sheriff John Garcia said, “As sheriff, my priority is quality public safety. Collaboration among our law enforcement partners is a critical component of keeping Erie County’s residents safe. Unfortunately, the Green Light Law, as it was enacted in 2019, severely impedes our ability to do that. We oppose any hindrance on sharing information with our federal law enforcement partners.”

Assemblyman Paul Bologna said, “Since its inception, the New York state ‘Green Light Law’ has validated many of the public safety concerns of law enforcement, local government, and residents. This hindrance ties the hands of law enforcement, not allowing the sharing of information between state and federal agencies, such as stolen and unregistered vehicles, and it is considered a crime for them to do so. New York state should promote the sharing of resources and information between law enforcement agencies at all levels of government to ensure public safety.”

Assemblyman Angelo Morinello said, “New York’s Green Light Law creates a difficult and dangerous situation for our law enforcement officers. The law prohibits the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing information with the Department of Homeland Security. This does not allow our local law enforcement to fully vet any suspicious vehicles or activity, and it creates a less-safe New York state.”

Assemblyman David DiPietro “Only in New York would we allow those who are here illegally to obtain state IDs and driver's licenses; this is madness. We should be upholding the rule of law and punishing those here illegally, not rewarding them with privileges. President Trump was reelected, in part, because people were tired of the migrant crisis that is hitting the country hard. We must listen to the people of New York who have said time and again they do not want to give illegal immigrants special privileges.”

Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski said, “When this law was put in place, people like myself, along with law enforcement and immigration enforcement such as ICE, stated that this was a potential security threat because they didn’t have immediate access to the information, and it also offered a pathway for those looking to commit fraud and or participate in illegal activity.”

Ortt said, “The Democrat establishment in Albany continues to dismiss the real damage being done by prioritizing illegal immigrant criminals and letting them bypass the system. Laws like the Green Light bill have empowered these criminals to wreak havoc in our communities​ and endanger those who follow the law. We’ve seen too many stories of everyday New Yorkers being assaulted, robbed and worse by these criminals​ who go unvetted and unchecked. This is why​ we need to give the tools needed to allow public safety officials to do their jobs.”