LaLota: Play Nice With ICE or You’re Cut Off
- Christopher Gangemi
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
It appears Republican Representative Nick LaLota is cutting off East Hampton Town and Village from receiving federal dollars for community project funding requests.
These requests, also known as "earmarks," bear no relation to our local C.P.F., the community preservation fund that comes from a real-estate transfer tax.
The news was delivered in a letter to town supervisors, mayors, and other local government officials yesterday.
"While municipalities retain broad authority over local matters, community project funding is a discretionary congressional appropriations process," wrote the congressman, who is up for re-election this fall.
"As such, it is appropriate to consider whether an applicant government demonstrates a willingness to cooperate with federal partners, uphold the rule of law, and protect public safety. Recent actions by certain municipalities in New York to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities have raised serious concerns in this regard."
The following sentence was underlined in his letter: "I will not support community project funding requests from municipalities that have adopted policies, enacted local laws, or taken official actions that deliberately obstruct, impede, or refuse lawful cooperation with federal authorities carrying out their responsibilities under federal law."
The threat, while unpleasant, may not ultimately add up to a lot of dollars. The town has received just $758,900 in earmarks in this century. It has a roughly $110 million annual budget.
Both East Hampton Village and East Hampton Town recently passed versions of the East Hampton Public Safety and Accountability law championed by Minerva Perez, the executive director of Organizacion Latino Americana.
While the local law makes clear that the federal government has every right to enforce its immigration policies, it explicitly prohibits the town or village from cooperating or participating in civil immigration enforcement in concert with the federal government.
"Nothing in the OLA public safety and accountability law stops federal officials from doing their jobs," Minerva Perez, the executive director of OLA, said by text on Thursday.
Its main intent was to reduce chaos and improve communication between the local police force, any United States Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents, and local governments. It was supported by dozens of community members who were energized to pass it after federal agents shot and killed two American citizens in Minneapolis in January during immigration enforcement actions.
It was not clear if Mr. LaLota's letter was in reference to the East Hampton legislation. A text to his spokesperson had not been answered by midday Thursday.
Both Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who are in a tense Democratic primary battle for supervisor, came out swinging against the congressman.
"Congressman LaLota is free to disagree with the village's policy, but East Hampton Village will not be intimidated into abandoning a law we believe protects public safety, respects constitutional rights, and serves the best interests of our community," Mayor Jerry Larsen said in a written statement.
"Our law does not prevent federal authorities from enforcing federal immigration laws," he continued. "It simply establishes how local resources are used and ensures that constitutional protections are respected."
"Federal tax dollars belong to the taxpayers of East Hampton Village just as much as anyone else. We stand by the law we adopted, and we reject the idea that federal funding should be used as leverage to force local governments to abandon policies they lawfully enacted."
Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez issued a lengthy statement on Thursday.
"Not long ago, a senior at East Hampton High School stood before the town board and said the fear never leaves the back of her mind, that today might be the day something happens to her parents. I have not stopped thinking about her words," she wrote.
"I have watched families in this town grow afraid to drive to work, afraid to bring their children to school, afraid to step into a church or a health clinic. These are our neighbors, and they are frightened in their own home. And that impacts all of us. That is who Congressman Nick LaLota chose to attack this week."
"LaLota threatened to cut off the federal dollars our residents are owed, including money for the very police equipment he took a victory lap over delivering five months ago, unless we let federal agents operate in our community however they please," Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez continued. "Let me be clear: We will not be bullied by Nick LaLota, and he does not get to decide what East Hampton stands for."
"This is just the latest errand he is running for Donald Trump, this time against his own neighbors," she added.
"So let me speak directly to the families in this town who are afraid. You belong here. As long as I am supervisor, this town will stand between you and anyone in Washington who treats your family as something to be traded away."
"We will keep our law, and we will keep our word to our neighbors."
Neither Chris Gallant nor Lukas Ventouras, who are vying to be the Democratic candidate to face Mr. LaLota this fall, responded to requests for comment.
—Note: This article has been updated since it first appeared online.
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