Yates County officials are pushing back after a recent Department of Homeland Security release listed the county as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
Sheriff Frank Ryan said the county was unaware it had been included on the list and is actively working to have it corrected. “The Yates County Sheriff’s Office has always, and will always, work to assist our Federal Law Enforcement partners to the fullest extent we are allowed by New York State law to do,” said Ryan. “We were not aware of Yates County being on this list until it was published.”
County officials said they are unsure why the county appeared in the federal report, especially in light of a 2019 resolution passed by the Yates County Legislature (Res. #256-19) that formally opposed New York State becoming a sanctuary state.
Yates County Administrator Jessica Mullins added, “The Sheriff and I will be working to connect with a representative from the Department of Homeland Security as soon as possible to take the steps to be removed from this list. I am hopeful the list will be updated shortly to reflect the corrected information.”
Officials have begun outreach to federal authorities for clarification and plan to work swiftly to resolve the issue.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].