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Acting ICE director insists New York must repeal Green Light Law

Gov. Cuomo has been attempting to strike a deal with the federal government on restoring the Trusted Traveler Program for people across New York.

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been trying to work out a deal with the federal government on restoring the Trusted Traveler Program for New York.

The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement said no deal.

Acting ICE director Matthew Albence visited the Rensselaer County Jail near Albany on Thursday, alongside some lawmakers and law enforcers from across the state. Some familiar faces from Western New York included Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns and Western District U.S. Attorney William Kennedy.

There, Albence said New York needs to repeal the Green Light Law that lets people living here illegally get driver's licenses and blocks the state's Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing records with federal agencies.

Albence said the law is holding border agents hostage and putting them and crime victims in danger.

He added that it isn't enough, as the governor has proposed, to open up those records only for Trusted Traveler applications, for programs such as NEXUS.

"I don't know how you compromise on public safety," Albence said. "The only thing that we are asking for is to give us the information that we are asking for to keep ourselves safe and to keep the people of this state and this country safe.

"Between this and the bail reform act, New York has become the least friendly state to law enforcement in the country."

The director's visit on Thursday drew protests and responses from advocacy groups who say ICE wants the data to target undocumented immigrants in New York.

Last week, the Associated Press  reported the Trump Administration deployed agents from the border to so-called sanctuary cities that are hindering stepped up immigration enforcement.

Albence announced the use of Customs and Border Protection agents in the interior of the country on Friday. He said the move was necessary because sanctuary cities are refusing to cooperate with ICE in the capture of immigrants.

He added that border agents will "supplement" ICE. Albence did not disclose the cities, but an official speaking on condition of anonymity told the AP they include San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York.

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