Croci’s bill to cut funding for ‘sanctuary cites’ advances in state Senate

So-called sanctuary cities in New York will be cut off from state funding under a proposed law sponsored by state Sen. Tom Croci (R-Islip).
Sen. Croci says local governments shouldn't be harboring immigrants who come to the U.S. illegally and then get arrested. He says the alleged MS-13 killings of two Brentwood teens inspired him to sponsor the bill.
News 12 Long Island has reported extensively about 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas and her friend, 15-year-old Nisa Mickens, who were found beaten and stabbed in Brentwood in September 2016.
“Ten of the 13 individuals arrested in connection with the killings in Brentwood were here illegally in the United States,” says Croci.
The state Senate passed the measure, which now heads to the state Assembly.
Immigrant advocate Sandra Castro says Croci's bill will lead to less public safety and more fear in immigrant communities.
“I think it makes our communities less safe. It really provides for more suspicion of the police…because now they have to act as ICE,” said Castro. “There's no distinguishing between a local police officer and a federal official and communities become very wary of that and very scared.”
Croci says the proposed law does not apply to undocumented immigrants who are victims of a crime or who are reporting a crime.
The bill now heads to the Democrat-controlled Assembly, where immigrant advocates predict the measure will die.