The New York State Attorney General's Office is asking the city of Oswego for information related to its participation in a Sept. 30 attempt by federal immigration agents to arrest suspected undocumented immigrants.
Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino issued a statement Friday announcing that the Attorney General's Office of Immigrant Trust requested information about the incident, in which six workers for a local roofing company were approached by federal agents at a home roof repair project in Oswego. They fled, and agents arrested four of the six.
The other two workers ran to a nearby home and climbed onto the roof. That began a multi-hour standoff in which agents tried to get the men to come down. At one point, Oswego Police arrived with a tall ladder at the request of the federal agents, but the men on the roof refused to let them set the ladder against the house.
After several hours, and with a group of protesters in the street watching and recording their actions, federal agents left. Not long after, the men came down off the roof and left without incident.
The state's new "Local Cops, Local Crimes Act," signed into law in May, sharply limits the way local police can work with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The Office of Immigrant Trust was set up not long after that to ensure that local police agencies end any agreements they have with federal immigration agencies. It appears from this inquiry that the office will also look at the ways in which local police give aid to federal efforts.
At the time of the incident, Mayor Corradino said that Oswego Police did not assist U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers with their attempt to arrest the men. He said they merely brought a ladder when asked. Video from protesters shows that Oswego Police officers appeared to help secure the perimeter of the scene.
In an email to WRVO News, Corradino said that the state requested "information related to incident reports, body-worn camera footage, 911 calls and related information maintained by the Oswego Police Department."
"We plan to cooperate with the Attorney General’s inquiry and have retained outside legal counsel to assist us with that endeavor," Corradino said.
The Attorney General's Office, in response to an email from WRVO News, confirmed the details of its request to the city but said it could say nothing more.
