East Hampton town and village leaders, along with Latino advocates, have condemned Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) for threatening to block federal earmarks to governments that restrict police cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
In a letter sent to town supervisors and mayors on Wednesday, LaLota said he would not support project requests from municipalities that have adopted such restrictions.
While he did not name any specific communities in his letter, East Hampton Town and Village are the only ones to have enacted them on Long Island.
LaLota, a second-term Republican Congressman, is running for reelection to represent New York’s First Congressional District, which includes the East End.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have left many Latino residents on the East End anxious, according Latino advocates. About 27% of East Hampton town’s population is Hispanic or Latino, and about 23% are foreign-born, according to U.S. Census data.
LaLota noted that Congress’ Community Project Funding — also known as earmarks — is discretionary and should reflect whether local governments “cooperate with federal partners, uphold the rule of law, and protect public safety.”
“I will not support community project funding requests from municipalities that have adopted policies, enacted local laws, or taken official actions that deliberately obstruct, impede, or refuse lawful cooperation with federal authorities carrying out their responsibilities under federal law,” LaLota wrote in the letter.
Both East Hampton laws are versions of a “public safety and accountability” measure developed by OLA of Eastern Long Island, a Latino advocacy nonprofit. The group is urging other municipalities on the East End with police departments to adopt the policy.
Minerva Perez, OLA’s executive director, said the law is intended to help Latino and immigrant residents trust local police in the event of an ICE raid. It was designed to improve coordination and reduce confusion, not interfere with federal operations, she said.
“OLA believes Congressman LaLota’s position presents East End communities with a false choice,” Perez said in a statement. “Local governments should not have to choose between exercising their lawful authority and receiving federal support for critical community projects.”
In separate statements Thursday, Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Village Mayor Jerry Larsen — both Democrats — defended their stances. Both laws acknowledge the authority of federal immigration officials and allow police departments to cooperate in criminal cases or when presented with a judicial warrant.
Larsen and Burke-Gonzalez are competing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary for East Hampton Town Supervisor.
“LaLota threatened to cut off the federal dollars our residents are owed, including money for the very police equipment he took a victory lap over delivering five months ago, unless we let federal agents operate in our community however they please,” Burke-Gonzalez said. She added, “We will not be bullied by Nick LaLota, and he does not get to decide what East Hampton stands for.”
Larsen said the village “will not be intimidated into abandoning a law we believe protects public safety, respects constitutional rights, and serves the best interests of our community.”
“Federal tax dollars belong to the taxpayers of East Hampton Village just as much as anyone else,” he said.
In a statement to Newsday on Friday, LaLota accused the town and village of enacting “sanctuary policies” that have “much more to do with the fact that their leaders are competing against one another in a Democrat primary.”
East Hampton officials said the town has received limited funding since 2021, when Congress ended a decade-long moratorium on federal earmarks. This year, the town secured $758,900 for seven new police cruisers.
The town has requested $5 million in earmarks next year to resurface 22 miles of road. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office has requested $4.35 million for new vehicles, including 13 cruisers for East Hampton Village.
