The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issues administrative warrants. Contrary to assumption, they do not give ICE agents authority to apprehend suspected offenders.
A judicial warrant does, though.
Knowledge of this distinction saved two immigrant passengers from being detained indiscriminately in Columbia County, NY in March.
Columbia County Sanctuary Movement trains immigrant communities about how to deal with ICE.
So when ICE agents pulled over the group's leader, Bryan MacCormack, and attempted to enforce an administrative warrant against two passengers in MacCormack's car, MacCormack had the perfect response:
"It's not a judicial warrant. Signed by a judge? You have no jurisdiction over me as a citizen. I'm the driver of this vehicle."
Gothamist reported:
"New York is the first state in the country to explicitly curtail the ability of federal agents to arrest individuals in this manner."
Mark Joseph of Stern tweeted:
"Every state should enact this reform."
Gabe Ortiz wrote in the Daily Kos:
"From nearly 180 Maine attorneys to California's Supreme Court chief justice, the calls to ice ICE out of courthouses have been loud, consistent, and crystal-clear."
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