In a unanimous vote at its March 4 meeting, the White Plains Common Council approved a resolution that puts it on the record as supporting immigrants and denouncing the current tactics being used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to conceal the identity of agents.
When discussing the resolution, Councilman Jeremiah Frei-Pearson raised the possibility of going further and determining whether the city can draft, pass and enforce an ordinance that would making it illegal for ICE agents and other law enforcement operating in the city to wear masks and otherwise conceal their identity including by not displaying badges except when operating undercover.
According to census statistics, the City of White Plains in 2024 had a population of 62,561 of which 32.1% identify as Hispanic or Latino, with 30.7% being foreign born.
The resolution that was approved says, “White Plains recognizes that these immigrants from throughout the world work hard and contribute positively to our city, state and nation, strengthening our economy and our community.”
While the resolution did not mention the Trump administration or Donald Trump by name, it accused the administration of pursuing immigration enforcement policies and actions based on fear and intimidation. The federal government is accused of engaging in violence against both non-citizens and citizens as well as using inhumane tactics such as family separation. The resolution cites the recent shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents.
The resolution blasts the administration for having federal agents cover their faces with masks so they cannot be readily identified, not wearing clear identification and not displaying badges as do members of the White Plains Police Department.
The resolution notes that White Plains police do not participate in immigration-related activities by federal agencies and White Plains police do not profile people based on race, ethnicity, skin color, or language spoken.
The resolution urges members of the New York State Legislature as well as the U.S. Congress to pass laws prohibiting federal law enforcement officials from concealing their identities in any way and ensuring that they openly identify themselves to protect immigrant communities.
Frei-Pearson noted that 37 people have died in ICE custody since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
“We condemn that,” Frei-Pearson said. “We condemn our federal government building giant concentration camp systems. We condemn the hateful rhetoric and the fearmongering and the scapegoating against our immigrant community. Now, I’m not opposed to all immigration enforcement. It makes good sense to have immigration agents protecting our borders. It does not make sense to have poorly trained people in masks conducting military operations and mass roundups inside our country.”
Frei-Pearson said that in functioning democracies law enforcement shows their faces except in rare circumstances. He spoke of White Plains police showing their faces and added that prior to 2025 ICE agents showed their faces. He noted that fascist governments often have secret police that wear masks.
Councilwoman Evelyn Alicea-Santiago said, “If we do nothing we are making a statement. That statement is that we accept what is happening to our immigrant brothers and sisters across the country. Most immigrants who have been violently captured and detained do not meet the test of criminality. Criminality now includes people in our community who work very hard, are law-abiding members of our community, send their children to school and give back to the community in the form of labor and taxes paid and invigorate our economy.”
Mayor Justin Brasch said, “My grandparents were immigrants, no different than the immigrants in our city today. Hard-working people who work and contribute to our society and just want the freedoms and rights that we have as Americans. That’s all they want, to join our lovely, American, diverse family and unfortunately they are filled with fear and intimidation and that’s totally unacceptable.”
