BUFFALO, N.Y. — A New York City transit agency wants signs that just went up at some Western New York auto bureaus taken down.
The signs say, "If you see something, say something," referring to undocumented immigrants and in reaction to the Green Light law.
But the MTA says it has a big problem with these signs.
"I told my staff to take it down this morning," said Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski, who is complying with orders from the MTA, to remove signs from his auto bureaus that were inspired by the Green Light law. Those signs say if you see something, say something.
In letters from the MTA sent to Jastrzemski and Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns, the MTA says that slogan is trademarked.
What kind of thinking went into this? And what kind of research did the Niagara County and Erie County clerks do to make sure they could even put up these signs?
"Well, we didn't have any clue it was a trademark issue when it's used all over the country," Jastrzemski said.
Last week both Jastrzemski and Kearns put up the signs, all in anticipation of the Green Light Law, which goes into effect Saturday, and allows undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers licenses.
"Anybody that receives a driver's license undocumented, whoever it might be come Monday on December 16th here, will be able to use that document that driver's license to board an airplane until October 1st of 2020, and that's a huge concern," Jastrzemski said.
What specifically was Jastrzemski asking people, as well as Kearns, to be on the look out for?
"Anybody that's suspicious," he replied.
REPORTER: Again, it's all tied to the Green Light Law, and that's applying to undocumented immigrants, so to ask people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious as this law takes effect, you're implying that people be on the lookout for undocumented immigrants, aren't you?
"I'm implying be on the lookout for criminals, period," Jastrzemski said.
The MTA demanded the signs be taken down by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
But on Wednesday afternoon in the Erie County Auto Bureau on Eggert Road in Tonawanda, we found the signs are still up.
Kearns told 2 On Your Side that he will comply with federal trademark law and remove those signs at some point, didn't say exactly when.
