Write a commentA racist anti-immigrant rant made by a local woman during the public comment segment of the March 12 Oswego County Legislature Meeting was applauded by many of the Republican Legislators in attendance.
Although I am well-aware of the MAGA leanings of many of our local Republican officials, it was absolutely chilling to witness our elected legislators clap enthusiastically for a speaker who denigrated and vilified Muslims and “illegals” as criminals and terrorists. She also claimed that she was appalled by many individuals, like myself, who have asked the County Legislature and Sheriff Hilton to adopt a “No Collusion Policy.”
A “No Collusion Policy” is designed to maintain a clear separation between local law enforcement (Sheriff’s Department), which focuses on public safety, and federal immigration agencies (ICE and Border Patrol), which are responsible for enforcing civil immigration laws.
The policy does not ask the Sheriff to break the law nor does it give “illegals” more rights than American citizens, as the misinformed speaker claimed. The policy would restrict the Sheriff’s Department from stopping, questioning, interrogating, investigating, or arresting an individual based, solely, on their actual or suspected immigration or citizenship status. Many law-abiding documented and undocumented immigrants in our county are afraid to go to the grocery store, work, school, or the hospital. They are afraid to report an accident or crime to our local Sheriff’s Department or call 911 for fear of being turned over to ICE or Border Patrol.
A “No Collusion Policy” would have prevented the Oswego County Sheriff’s Department from participating in the September 2025 Cato Raid, where ICE and Border Patrol used an unconstitutional warrant to enter the Nutrition Bar Confectioners facility and then proceeded to violate the workers’ fourth amendment right to be protected from unlawful searches and seizures. [Related story.]
The “No Collusion Policy” would ensure that local resources are used for our public safety rather than in collusion with the bloated and controversial federal immigration agencies of ICE and Border Patrol. It does not call for the abolishment of ICE, which I personally endorse, and it certainly does not prevent the arrest and conviction of violent criminals, immigrant or otherwise.
I spoke during the public comment session and asked Sheriff Hilton and Undersheriff Toomey to dispel the misinformation cited by the first speaker. Unfortunately, Undersheriff Toomey told me after the meeting that he agreed with the first speaker and not with me. I also asked the legislators who applauded the hate speech, why they would do that? I understand that an individual has a first amendment right to say what they wish, whether or not it is true. Do you believe it is critical that an elected official be able to recognize and disavow obvious racist hate speech? Reach out and let your legislator know what you think.
Legislature Meetings can be viewed online at the Oswego County Legislative homepage, by clicking on Watch Meetings at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGH7gm7I7Ho&t=3904s.
