To the Editor:
Your recent editorial (Aug. 25, 2026) argues that supporting Organización Latino Americana’s (OLA) proposal is “considered unacceptable in Republican politics.” As one of those Republican leaders, I oppose it because it would make communication and cooperation between local and federal law enforcement more difficult. But I am hardly alone. Ninety-eight percent of Long Island’s municipalities, including Democrat-led Southold, Riverhead, and Southampton, have rejected OLA’s proposal for the same reason.
Supporters falsely claim the proposal changes nothing about immigration enforcement. Like the sanctuary policies embraced by Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani, OLA’s proposal would prohibit many forms of cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. It is presented as a transparency measure, but in practice it creates new barriers between the agencies responsible for keeping our communities safe.
Consider one scenario. A violent illegal immigrant wanted for a sexual assault in Queens is believed to have driven through Suffolk County. Federal investigators ask the Riverhead Police Department to search its automated license plate reader system. Under OLA’s proposal, local officers would be prohibited from sharing information that helps locate a dangerous fugitive. Politics should never prevent law enforcement from working together to protect the public.
This is exactly the kind of situation responsible public officials should consider before adopting policies that affect public safety. That is why nearly every municipality on Long Island, led by Republicans and Democrats alike, has rejected OLA’s proposal.
Supporters point to the tragic incidents involving Renée Good and Alex Pretti. Those incidents deserve a thorough investigation, and I support better training and body cameras for federal immigration officers. But OLA’s proposal would make such a tragedy more likely, not less.
Democrat-led Southold demonstrated a better approach by establishing a local safety perimeter around known ICE operations without barring cooperation among local, state, and federal law enforcement. It addresses those same public safety concerns without discouraging communication and cooperation between agencies.
OLA’s proposal has another contradiction. Supporters insist federal immigration authorities should communicate more with local police. I agree. But communication and cooperation are inseparable. It is unreasonable to demand greater coordination from federal officers while advancing policies that prohibit local officers from sharing information with or assisting those same officers. If the goal is safer operations, both sides must be willing and able to do both.
Transparency matters. Accountability matters. But neither is advanced by making communication and cooperation between law enforcement agencies more difficult. Public safety depends on communication, cooperation, and trust among local, state, and federal law enforcement, not barriers between them. That’s why I oppose OLA’s proposal.
Nick LaLota
Member of Congress, NY-01
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