New York authorities — particularly Malik Evans, the Democratic mayor of Rochester — are voicing frustration over a recent encounter involving local police and federal immigration enforcement. Evans criticized his city’s officers for helping federal agents with a deportation-related stop, which he says contradicts Rochester’s official stance on immigration cooperation.
The situation unfolded on Monday when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) sought support from the Rochester Police Department (RPD) during a roadside stop. Responding officers arrived and reportedly assisted in removing individuals from a vehicle and placing them under arrest.
Mayor Evans expressed concern, arguing that this type of involvement runs counter to Rochester’s status as a sanctuary city.
“The officer who responded to the scene may have violated, and appears to have violated, city policy,” Evans said during a press conference.
“The officers on the scene verbally directed the occupants to get out of the vehicle, and this is against our policy. I learned of this incident from a community member who called my office,” he added.
“I then called the chief to have him look into this matter, and I’m thankful for the community member who brought this to our attention, but I just want to reiterate, this will be under investigation,” Evans noted. He emphasized that the city’s guidelines on the issue leave no room for interpretation.
“City police officers do not help or participate in federal immigration activities,” he underscored. “Every RPD officer — I’ve instructed the chief to make sure that every officer receive more training on General Order 502 to ensure all members are fully aware and fully understand this policy.”
Meanwhile, on March 24, 2025, federal immigration officials began ramping up targeted enforcement operations across various areas of New York. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the increased activity and indicated more details will be shared in time.
This development unfolds amid ongoing clashes between Democrats who champion sanctuary policies and Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who are aggressively pushing back.
Tom Homan, who served as Trump’s top immigration official, has vowed to confront sanctuary jurisdictions head-on. His efforts have already led to large-scale immigration arrests, including a recent operation in Boston that netted 380 individuals.
Trump himself has reiterated his opposition to sanctuary city policies and is preparing to take broader measures.
“They’re guarding criminals,” Trump said about sanctuary cities. “They’re taking the rights away from the citizens of the state and the city.”
“And we’re going to be ending sanctuary cities, if we find it necessary to do, in certain major areas, and we may just end the entire thing altogether,” he added. “Because it’s just a way of protecting criminals and nobody else is benefited by that.”
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