OPINION: New York Must Address the Chaos at our Northern Border

Having safe, secure borders is a right every American deserves. The idea that we should be aware of who enters the country has somehow been deemed as negotiable in recent years. It is not, and the rhetoric surrounding these concepts has become dangerous. Recently, the issue has taken on new significance in New York state as an influx of illegal immigrants coming across the northern border with Canada has complicated existing issues in upstate communities already dealing with those bused into New York City from the southern border with Mexico. Border Patrol tallied 19,000 migrant encounters in August at the Canada-U.S. border, with just about half entering through New York alone. As such, recent reports indicated confusion and uncertainty as the border remains virtually open, and the problem has not shown any indication it will resolve itself any time soon. For this reason, members of the Assembly Minority Conference have introduced legislation to repeal the state’s “Green Light Law,” which is contributing to the problems at the border. Assemblyman Scott Gray (R–Watertown), Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C–Black River), and Sen. Dan Stec (R,C–Queensbury) recently stood with law-enforcement officials representing St. Lawrence, Clinton, Franklin, and Jefferson counties to discuss ways to improve border security, including repealing Green Light in border counties. Current law prohibits the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) from sharing departmental records with any agency that primarily enforces immigration law and requires those who have access, including state and local law enforcement, to certify that the use of such records will not be used for civil-immigration purposes or be shared with agencies that primarily enforce immigration law. Our proposal would restore that cooperation, which never should have been inhibited in the first place. There are many deficiencies with the Green Light Law, aside from it hindering cooperation between law-enforcement agencies. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, the law creates an avenue for those with “nefarious intentions” to obtain a “legitimate, state-issued document for identification,” calls for the state to issue such instruments relying on information solely from a foreign government, and it creates many conflicting law-enforcement relationships that hinder public safety and immigration enforcement. In fact, we have been saying this for years. As a nation, we have always welcomed those looking for a better life. We will continue to do so, but we must also consider the needs of those who live here, pay taxes, and use public services. Right now, Americans do not feel secure, and that is unacceptable. We have always been, and will always be, a beacon of freedom, and the best way to continue to do so is by simply following the laws put in place intended to keep us all safe — immigrants included.

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William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.