Photos by Tom Rivers: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney holds a press conference on Monday outside the Orleans County legislative chambers with Wayne County Sheriff Rob Milby, Genesee County Sheriff Joe Graff, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke and Orleans County District Attorney Susan Howard.

ALBION – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney has been holding roundtable discussions with law enforcement leaders across the 24^th Congressional District, including one in Albion on Monday.

Other roundtables discussions this week were held in Lyons on Wednesday and Canandaigua on Tuesday.

“Our sheriffs, police officers, prosecutors, and other law enforcement professionals understand the public safety challenges facing our communities because they confront them every day,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Over three days and across NY-24, I heard directly from the men and women responsible for keeping our communities safe about the obstacles they face, the impact of policies coming out of Albany, and what they need to do their jobs effectively. Their experience should help shape public safety policy. I will continue working in Congress to ensure local law enforcement has the tools, resources, and support they need, and Albany should be listening to the people confronting these challenges on the ground.”

Tenney, during a press conference in Albion, said law enforcement agencies are often understaffed, especially in state prisons. She pushed back on the “Local Cops, Local Crime Act” that went into effect on Aug. 25 and banned 287(g) agreements where local law enforcement assist with federal civil immigration enforcement.

The ban on those agreements was championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who wants local law enforcement resources to not be diverted to helping ICE, which she said is carrying out unprecedented aggressive immigration enforcement.

“ICE can no longer commandeer locally-funded police to aid an out-of-control federal agency with an $85 billion budget,” Hochul said on Aug. 25 when the Local Cops, Local Crime Act took effect.

But Tenney, joined by law enforcement Monday at a press conference in Albion, said local police should be encouraged to cooperate with federal agencies. Tenney said the governor’s policies are making the state less safe.

The congresswoman said it should be “common sense” for the local law enforcement to cooperate with other agencies.

Wayne County Sheriff Rob Milby said the state action, banning 287(g) “convolutes things for our officers out there.” He said the new law from the state can lead to hesitation and a delayed response “which can get somebody hurt.”

The Wayne County sheriff is among 15 sheriffs who have filed a lawsuit against the state after the ban on 287(g) agreements was enacted by the state.

Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said Orleans isn’t in a 287(g) agreement with ICE, and no ICE detainees are held in the County Jail. Orleans does have an agreement with the U.S. Marshals where that agency can keep people in the local jail.

Milby said it is clearly “overreach” from the state, dictating how local communities utilize their law enforcement resources. He called it a violation of “home rule.”

Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke said he feels fortunate to have strong backing for his department from the local County Legislature, Congresswoman Tenney, Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Sen. Rob Ortt.

Bourke said his department will assist federal agents if requested.

“We are not trying to be immigration agents,” Bourke said. “But when a federal law enforcement operation is taking place and then request assistance, we certainly will help them.”

The roundtable discussions were closed to the press at the three locations this week. After speaking with law enforcement for about 90 minutes in Albion, Tenney held a press conference and restricted to questions to law enforcement issues with nothing to be asked off topic.

The congresswoman was asked about ICE enforcement and how the agricultural industry is vulnerable to losing employees who are critical to harvesting crops.

Tenney said she supports the legal guestworker program with H2A and wants it expanded for dairy farms. Her office is willing to farmers and their workers with visas.

“But if we have a criminal illegal alien who’s in this community, those are people that are a threat to our communities and are a threat to not only communities, farmers and other ag workers when we have someone that’s a gang member who’s actually trying to hide between the legal immigrants that are here,” she said.

Tenney said she wants law enforcement leaders and officers to have the tools to do their jobs, going after “bad people in our communities.”

“There seems to be sort of an anti-police sentiment that’s been going on for the last number of years in our state,” Tenney said in Albion. “That concerns me because we have rural communities that are also impacted by crime, and especially, one of the worst things that we face in our communities is the continued prevalence of illicit drugs, fentanyl and things, coming across our borders that are hurting our communities, killing our children, making our communities less safe.”