Village of East Hampton first to pass law to boost ICE accountability

The Long Island Rail Road will begin summer service schedules on May 18 on the Montauk, Long Beach and Ronkonkoma lines — including more weekday trains to Montauk. Peter Gill reports in NEWSDAY that separately, beginning May 11, some midday weekday trains on various branches will see their departure times adjusted by a few minutes to accommodate maintenance work and accessibility upgrades outside of rush hour.All the changes will be viewable on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s TrainTime app later this week, according to the LIRR.Beginning Monday, May 18, the 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station to Speonk — which normally runs to Montauk on summer Thursdays and Fridays — will continue on to Montauk, making all stops Mondays through Fridays throughout the summer. Likewise, the 11:37 a.m. and 4:18 p.m. trains on Sundays (Mondays on holiday weekends) from Montauk will operate through to Penn Station.The additional summer weekday trains to Montauk were first rolled out last summer. They are in addition to the Cannonball trains that offer express service to and from the South Fork on summer weekends."As we head into the busy summer season, we’re expanding service to give customers more flexibility," said LIRR President Rob Free in a statement yesterday.Regarding the north fork, midday weekday train service east of Ronkonkoma to and from Greenport will resume on May 11; it had been substituted with busing for several months for track maintenance.***The New York attorney general, Letitia James, on Friday sued to block the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $73 million in highway funding for the state.The lawsuit, which A.G. James filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, asks the court to overturn the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision and to restore the funding. Samantha Latson reports in THE NY TIMES that the Department of Transportation said last week that it would withhold financial support because New York refused to revoke commercial driver’s licenses it said were issued illegally. Ms. James said the trucking licenses were in compliance with state and federal regulations and only issued to people with legal status.“New Yorkers depend on safe, reliable roads and bridges to get to work, take their kids to school and keep our economy moving,” Ms. James said. “The administration cannot promise funding to our state and then abruptly yank it away.”Last week, the Transportation Department said it would also withhold an additional $147 million in future funding. The federal aid funds road maintenance, safety improvements and infrastructure. The attorney general said the aid block could interfere with “critical” transportation projects, increase costs and effect local economies across the state.“I promised the American people I would hold any state leader accountable for failing to keep them safe from unvetted, unqualified foreign drivers,” said Sean P. Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, in a statement. “I’m delivering on that promise today by refusing to fund Governor Hochul’s dangerous, anti-American policies. My message to New York’s far left leadership is clear: Families must be prioritized on American roads.”The trucking licenses have been part of a protracted battle between New York and the department for months. Mr. Duffy said in June 2025 that the federal government would audit state licensing practices because millions of people entered the United States illegally, leaving the truck licensing system vulnerable to exploitation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit released in December found that 107 of New York’s commercial driver’s licenses were issued illegally out of 200 sampled records. The agency said the state issued commercial licenses to foreign drivers without providing evidence that it had verified the driver’s legal status.Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Friday that the department’s claims were false and that the blocking of federal funds was “political payback.”***Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that that there are 3 important civic gatherings this evening:The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons will host a program titled “Learning About Serving on Your East Hampton, Southampton and Shelter Island Town Board Advisory Committees” this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the East Hampton Library, at 159 Main Street. The program will include LWV members from the three towns speaking about how to participate on the town advisory committees, when they meet, what the committees’ responsibilities are, and what they’ve accomplished. For more information, visit lwvhsinf.orgThe Mattituck and Cutchogue Civic Associations host a joint public forum on “The State of Mattituck-Cutchogue Schools” this evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Veterans Park, on Peconic Bay Boulevard in Mattituck. Find Out More.The Hampton Bays Civic Association meets this evening at 7 p.m. at the Hampton Bays Senior Center. They’re expecting to hear from a septic system installer about grants available for new septic systems, and from a member of the Southampton Town Board about local issues.***The Village of East Hampton has become the first municipality on the East End to enact a law, drafted by OLA of Eastern Long Island, Inc. (Organización Latino Americana), that is meant to boost accountability in the event of federal immigration action.What the blueprint drafted by OLA aims to do, primarily, is establish a series of procedures and training programs that would help deter the impersonation of federal officers and adopt local requirements for reporting enforcement activity up and down the chain, with the goal of making that information publicly available. The purpose is to boost public safety and accountability and clarify the place that local governments occupy in the event of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raid.Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that East Hampton Village officials adopted a version that is stronger than the final version that OLA is promoting. This is primarily because the village law, unlike OLA’s draft, blocks village officials from entering 287(g) agreements, which essentially allow local and federal officers to work in partnership for immigration detentions. OLA removed this provision, thinking that blocking 287(g) agreements could be a stumbling block, after receiving feedback from local officials.Another point where East Hampton Village officials gave the law extra teeth is in blocking federal officials from accessing data from the village’s Flock, or license plate reader, cameras. Data that has not been flagged in connection with a criminal investigation will be deleted within 30 days. East Hampton Village officials enacting the law, which was drafted via a collaboration between OLA and former NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele, came right on the heels of a public hearing, held on April 22, during which OLA advocates spoke up.Of the 10 twin forks towns and villages with a police department, East Hampton Town and East Hampton Village have been spearheading the OLA law, while others are continuing discussions with OLA about what the law will entail.OLA Legal Advocate Erika Padilla said the law is not about hindering federal enforcement but protecting the safety and integrity of the local community. The law will provide a simple, common sense solution, Padilla said.The East Hampton Town Board, which lent support to the law after a discussion on April 7, plans to hold a public hearing on May 7.***The Town of Southold struck two words from its zoning code in a move officials say could spur more accessory apartments and boost affordable housing on the North Fork. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that the change approved April 21 allows accessory apartments to be built in new detached structures on residential property. Previously, Southold Town law required accessory apartments be built in “presently existing” structures including garages, barns and storage buildings.The town board approved the change as part of a broader effort to update zoning laws to encourage accessory dwelling units in a competitive, expensive housing market. Southold’s Zoning Board of Appeals, which reviews applications to build accessory apartments, supported the change.Leslie Weisman, the board’s chair, said the town removed a roadblock and could allow residents to have tiny homes on their properties.Weisman cited a recent denial on a property where a homeowner sought to build a detached apartment for their son to live in. “We couldn’t say yes, because it was not existing,” Weisman said in an interview.Adding affordable housing is a key priority in Southold’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The need is dire, Weisman said.“Enrollment in our public school systems on the North Fork [is] dwindling dramatically,” Weisman said, noting that young families cannot afford to live in the region. “We’re going to lose generational vitality if we don’t do something about housing.”The Town of Southold is considering tapping its Community Housing Fund to provide no-interest loans to homeowners looking to build accessory apartments.***A Riverside Wastewater Forum at Flanders Community Center is scheduled for this coming Wednesday evening April 29 from 7 to 9 p.m.Southampton Town representatives will discuss the latest on Riverside’s Water Resource Recovery Facility in an informational program for the community.That’s this Wednesday at 7 p.m. in David W. Crohan Community Center, 655 Flanders Road, Riverhead, NY 11901.***New York school leaders have until today to file their...