The Syracuse Common Council is approving a plan that it hopes will protect vulnerable citizens from ICE agents.
The new resolution will require the city’s requests for proposal to include a mandatory checkbox. Potential vendors will have to disclose whether they or a subcontractor will share client, customer, or user data with any third parties.
Councilors said it will provide the city information about which companies give information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Common Councilor At-Large Chol Majok, who came to the United States as a refugee from South Sudan, co-sponsored the legislation.
"This may not solve all our problems, but at least it will move us closer to where we need to go," he said.
Common Councilor At-Large Hanah Ehrenreich had praise for her colleague.
"Councilor Majok has been incredibly dedicated with this and has been looking for every area and every avenue that we can put in place to make sure that all of our neighbors and all of our city services that we provide are safe, legal, and friendly to everyone that lives in the city,” she said.
District 1 Councilor Marty Nave said he is hearing concerns from neighbors about whether their personal information is being protected.
"In my common council district, ICE has targeted many of my constituents, and it's very unfortunate, so I appreciate my colleagues," Nave said.
