New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday that her office is launching a new initiative to observe and document federal immigration enforcement operations across the state, a move that could place additional scrutiny on Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.
Under the program, volunteers from the attorney general’s office will serve as legal observers, recording ICE enforcement actions while wearing clearly identifiable vests. James said the observers will not interfere with federal operations, but will instead document activity as it occurs.
“We have seen in Minnesota how quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability,” James said in a statement. “My office is launching the Legal Observation Project to examine federal enforcement activity in New York and whether it remains within the bounds of the law.”
The Attorney General’s office’s press release stated the following:
New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the launch of the Legal Observation Project, a new Office of the Attorney General (OAG) initiative to monitor and document federal immigration enforcement activity in New York state and protect New Yorkers’ rights. Through the project, OAG will collect reports of enforcement actions throughout New York and send trained personnel to observe and document that activity where appropriate, as well as any related protests, as they occur. These legal observers will serve as neutral witnesses on the ground, recording information that may inform future legal action. As federal immigration enforcement activity increases nationwide, the Legal Observation Project will help ensure that accurate, real-time information is collected and preserved, and that any violations of law are identified.
The stated purpose of the program is to create independent records of ICE conduct that could be used by the attorney general’s office if it determines that federal agents violated the law. The monitoring effort adds another layer of oversight as the Biden administration faces ongoing criticism from both sides over immigration enforcement and border security.
James also called on New York residents to submit videos and other documentation of federal immigration enforcement actions directly to her office through its website, further expanding civilian involvement in monitoring federal law enforcement.