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Q&A
NYPD's handling of ICE requests for criminal group database information
2:36:39
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Council Member Yusef Salaam inquires about how the NYPD would handle requests from ICE or other federal immigration authorities for information from the criminal group database. Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber explains the NYPD's stance on sharing information related to civil immigration enforcement and criminal investigations.
- NYPD cannot share information for civil immigration enforcement purposes due to city law
- Information sharing is allowed for joint criminal investigations with federal partners like the FBI
- The police commissioner has been clear about following the law and not assisting with civil immigration enforcement
Yusef Salaam
2:36:39
I wanna ask a question, maybe interesting question.
2:36:50
Given the current political climate, I think it's worth asking if ICE or another federal immigration authority requested information from the criminal group database, how would the NYPD handle that?
2:37:05
Or you know like would they try any other legal processes to get this information?
Michael Gerber
2:37:12
Sure.
2:37:13
So if you're talking about a request for information from the database in connection with anything related to civil immigration enforcement, the answer is no.
2:37:21
We can't do that.
2:37:22
Period.
2:37:23
Full stop.
2:37:24
We just can't under under city law.
2:37:29
Obviously, you know, in connection with criminal investigations, if we're working with our federal partners, say we're working completely with the FBI, FBI Safe Streets Task Force on a on a on a gang or a crew case, we're gonna share information with them.
2:37:46
I think it's actually not so much like who's in the database, but like the underlying information.
2:37:51
If we're doing a joint investigation with the FBI, a criminal case on some violent crew, they're looking at a crew and connection with a murder, shootings, robberies.
2:38:00
The whole point as part of the task force is in the criminal investigation there'll be a sharing of information across the board.
2:38:06
The expectation is they're gonna share with us and we're gonna share with them.
2:38:09
That's what it means to do a criminal case as part of a task force jointly.
2:38:13
But in terms of civil immigration enforcement, no, absolutely not.
2:38:19
The police commissioner has been very, very clear about this.
2:38:22
The department is going to follow the law, full stop.
2:38:26
We are not allowed to assist in connection with civil immigration enforcement, and we're not gonna do that.
2:38:32
And that includes anything related to the criminal group database.
Yusef Salaam
2:38:38
Does ICE investigations into illegal border crossings count?
Michael Gerber
2:38:44
I'm not I'm not sure what you mean by that.
2:38:46
Again, anything related that's civil in nature when it comes to immigration stuff, we we obviously we can't be involved in.
2:38:54
When you say illegal border crossings, if you mean criminal investigations of border crossings in, let's say, for example, Texas, would have no, we have nothing to do with that.
2:39:07
Frankly, I'm not sure I totally understand the question.
2:39:11
Again, as part of task forces here in New York City, we are involved in a multitude of criminal investigations with federal partners.
2:39:22
And in connection with those investigations we share information.
2:39:25
Anything civil in nature, civil immigration enforcement, the answer is absolutely not.