New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched a misconduct investigation into Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton after he cooperated with immigration enforcement authorities.
A letter from the attorney general’s office, obtained by The New York Post, requests information detailing cooperation between local and federal law enforcement groups “concerning the enforcement of federal immigration law.”
“The Office of Attorney General is conducting an investigation pursuant to New York Executive Law § 75(3) and has reasonable cause to believe that the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office has information relevant to that investigation,” the letter says.
A spokesperson for the office told the outlet in a statement that it “does not ‘target’ New York counties for cooperating with the federal government; the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office reviews matters concerning potential violations of New Yorkers’ civil rights.”
“It is wrong to inaccurately speculate about our office’s ongoing work with local law enforcement – especially when coming from extremist politicians with partisan agendas,” the spokperson said.
The sheriff’s office acknowledged the letter, saying it has “initiated a thorough and comprehensive review of all documentation requested,” a process which will require a “significant commitment of time and resources to ensure full compliance with the request.”
“Sheriff Hilton wishes to assure the public that the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office has continued the agency’s longstanding practice of cooperating with federal agencies on public safety matters,” the statement continued. “The Oswego County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the continued service and protection of the residents of Oswego County.”
Under a 2017 order signed by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), law enforcement officers “have no authority to take any police action solely because the person is an undocumented alien.”
