Residents Ask Village Board to Stand Up Against ICE

The national conversation about immigration enforcement came home to Scarsdale at the meeting of the Village Board on Tuesday February 10, 2026. Alissa Baum and Myra Saul attended the meeting and asked the Village Board to support proposed legislation to limit ICE actions in New York State.

Here is what they said:

Good evening. We are Alissa Baum, 2 Sylvan Lane and Myra Saul, 5 Lincoln Road. We are speaking in our capacities as individuals and not representing any group.

About two weeks ago, in response to the murders of Renee Goode and Alex Pretti, members of the Westchester community--of all faiths and backgrounds as well as our elected officials-- gathered at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains to find comfort in our shared humanity. Justin, you as our mayor, spoke eloquently that night, explaining that regardless of what may be our political differences, we all share a belief in our Constitution, the rule of law, and our common humanity. Thank you.

The other day Heather Cox Richardson, a distinguished American historian, wrote in her online column, that there are over 70,000 people, including children, held in ICE detention centers around the country. These centers are operated by private firms, some apparently shoestring operations, which now oversee private jails that each hold thousands of people. There are reports of the lack of medical facilities and the outright denial of medical care at these centers; many substantiated by ICE.

There are now other reports that whole communities are speaking out against ICE, especially with respect to the establishment of detention centers in their communities. For instance, in nearby Chester, NY, the Orange County Legislature, both Republicans and Democrats, unanimously oppose a proposed detention center there.

Scarsdale needs to stand up with the tools that it has to fight against ICE on both political and moral grounds. Politically—because as our Mayor said at our community gathering of two weeks ago—these issues transcend Democratic and Republican party lines and go to the essence of the constitutional rights we all enjoy. Morally---because we need to speak up with a forceful voice for those in our communities who are suffering.

It is with this background that we are asking the Village of Scarsdale, through its trustees, to support some common sense handcuffs on ICE, as proposed by our governor, in the name of upholding our constitutional rights and decency.

These are:

1. The New York State Bivens Act, which would protect the constitutional rights of New Yorkers by establishing a right to sue federal officers and hold them accountable for violations of individuals’ constitutional rights.

2. The Sensitive Location Protection Act, which would amend the NY State Civil Rights Law to protect sensitive locations – schools, daycares, hospitals, houses of worship, and housing accommodations – from civil immigration enforcement, except where a federal agent has a judicial warrant. We do not want to see ICE invading the spaces we cherish as safe and secure.

3. The Local Crimes and Local Cops Act, which would prohibit so-called 287(g) agreements. This bill would bar state and local police from acting as federal agents or using taxpayer-funded resources or personnel to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement.

We note that this legislation is less far reaching than New York for All, a bill currently being considered by the state legislature and cosponsored by both our state senator and state assemblyperson. Considering that, if the governor’s proposals still seem too controversial, which they shouldn’t be, the Village needs to at least take a stand with respect to its own police force. Right now, we only have a policy which states that the Scarsdale Police Department will not engage in immigration enforcement. |

A policy simply does not have the force of law. Given the activities of ICE in our own backyard, it is critical that we make sure that our own local authorities are not permitted to cooperate with ICE absent a judicial warrant or ongoing serious criminal investigation.

Scarsdale should join other communities across the state and the country willing to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Thank you for your consideration.

Nan Berke came to the mic to second the second the recommendations to limit ICE’s grip. She said, “Kathy Hochul supports this act along with the New York Bar Association. I am hopeful that Scarsdale can be one of the first local governments endorsing this act. I run the local tag sale at Scarsdale Congregational Church and people from all walks of life come to enjoy the sale. We implemented measures to protect people during the sale. I want to make the thought of ICE unimaginable again. The President says his guardrails are only limited by his own morality – this is too low a bar.”

In other news from Village Hall, the Board approved a resolution to receive reimbursement from Westchester County for clearning ice and snow from 3.2 miles of county roads within Scarsdale.

-They passed a resolution to allow a real property tax levy increase above the allowable tax cap 3.65%.

-They authorized the use of Westchester County voting machines for the annual village election on March 18, 2026.

-They accepted a give of $5,000 from Fenway Golf Club Charitable Fund for the Scarsdale Police Department.

-They authorized an agreement with executive search firm Robert Half Inc to fill an executive level position for the Village.

-They discussed, but did not vote on new regulations regarding fencing around swimming pools.