Cuomo Pulls New York From Federal Deportation Program

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that he'll be suspending the state's participation in the controversial Secure Communities program, a measure that requires local law enforcement agencies to share the fingerprints of anyone who's been arrested with federal immigration officials, who then check the prints for a person's green card status.

Cuomo's move comes after weeks of mounting pressure from local legislators and immigrant advocacy groups, who say the program is not meeting its supposed goal of deporting serious and violent criminal offenders. Critics point to data showing that since its start in 2008, a majority of the people who have been deported through Secure Communities--some 79 percent--had never actually been convicted of a crime.

Last month, a number of Bronx legislators and others from across the state sent a letter to the governor asking him to withdraw.

"There are concerns about the implementation of the program as well as its impact on families, immigrant communities and law enforcement in New York," Cuomo said in a statement sent out today.

Other states, like Illinois, also dropped out of the program recently.

“Governor Cuomo has demonstrated tremendous leadership," Congressman Jose Serrano, who represents the South Bronx, said in a statement this afternoon.

"He is firmly in line with our state’s pro-immigrant tradition, and on behalf of the immigrants and their friends in our community, I would like to thank him. Having New York State pull back from this aggressive program should be a wakeup call to the Department of Homeland Security. It is time to end this program and I am glad my home state will no longer take part."

The Department of Homeland Security had previously stated that participation was mandatory, but announced this week that there would be an investigation into how the program has been carried out.

Fernando Ferrer Appointed to MTA Board



File photo

 Former Bronx Borough President and two-time mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer has been appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the MTA Board, the governing body that oversees the agency (and, most notably, approves all of those fare hikes and service changes).

Ferrer served as Borough President of the Bronx for 14 years, from 1987 to 2001, before making a run for Mayor. His most current gig is with public affairs firm Mercury.


No Room For Pork in Cuomo's Budget

It's a political practice as well-established as candidates kissing babies: a local legislator shows up at a senior center or an elementary school, giant check in hand, to announce that he'll be funding a daily meals program or buying new uniforms for the spring soccer team.

There's a photo-op and everyone leaves feeling good--the politician gets to be the hero, and the local organization gets some much-needed money.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's bare-bones budget for this fiscal year, approved March 31, contains no funding for new member items--the public money given to state senators and assembly members that allows them to hand out all those big checks in their respective districts. These discretionary funds, or "pork," have often been criticized as wasteful spending, and for a few politicians, have been a source of scandal.

But local legislators say the loss of member item money will, ultimately, only hurt their communities; that the ones taking the hit are the local organizations and services that rely on support from elected officials to stay afloat.

"Local legislators know the needs of their districts better than faceless bureaucrats in Albany," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, in an e-mail. "The groups I fund -- youth programs, senior centers, arts and music groups and others -- all play a valuable role in our community and its quality of life."

Bronx Tenants Rally for Rent Laws, But Cuomo Goes His Own Way

Members of the tenant rights group CASA at last week's Bronx rent reform rally. (Photo by J. Evelly)

Bronx residents, tenant organizers and elected officials held a rally last Thursday at the Bronx Library Center on Kingsbridge Road, calling for stronger rent laws under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, which expires this June and sets guidelines for hundreds of thousands of rent regulated apartments in the Bronx, and about a million across the city.

Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's tentative budget deal with lawmakers, announced yesterday, conspicuously leaves out any provisions relating to the state's rent laws--to the disappointment of local legislators and advocates who have been pushing the governor on the issue.