Border Czar Tom Homan meets with RPD officers at Locust Club Tuesday afternoon
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. Border Czar Tom Homan has left the Locust Club headquarters after a private meeting with leaders of the union that represents Rochester Police officers.
His visit came in the wake of a video showing RPD officers helping Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop, which sparked a debate over sanctuary city policies. Supporters and protesters of Homan lined up outside the Locust Club during and ahead of his visit.
The event was invitation-only with tight security and was closed to the media, but News10NBC saw Homan arriving and leaving. On X, the Locust Club thanked Homan for “his message of unwavering support for our members” and said “we are very grateful that he took the time out of his incredibly busy schedule to visit with us here in Rochester.”
In a statement from Greece Town Supervisor Bill Reilich, he said Homan also stopped by the Greece Police Department to meet with the police chief, administrative staff, and himself.
Reilich said he discussed the importance of “maintaining strong national security policies, supporting local law enforcement, and ensuring that municipalities have the tools and partnerships needed to help keep their residents safe.”
Reilich also expressed his appreciation for Homan’s visit.
“His visit reinforces our ongoing efforts to ensure the Town of Greece remains a safe and secure place for our residents,” Reilich said.
Homan told News10NBC’s Brett Davidsen in a one-on-one interview that he would visit Rochester in response to the traffic stop.
Our crew at the Locust Club saw Homan supporters on one side of the street, with many carrying flags with a thin blue line, a symbol of support for police. Others can be seen carrying “Trump” flags and wearing his merchandise.
On the other side of the same street, Homan protesters carried banners in support of Rochester’s immigrant communities. A person can be heard saying with a megaphone, “Tom Homan, let’s be clear, refugees are welcome here.”
There were also protesters outside the Public Safety Building on Exchange Boulevard in support of Rochester’s status as a sanctuary city. Some signs read “hands off our sanctuary” and “due process for all.” Here’s what to know about what led up to the visit:
What is a sanctuary city?
Although there’s no official definition of a sanctuary city, it usually refers to a municipality that limits its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Rochester has been a sanctuary city since 1986. Under the RPD’s policy, officers aren’t allowed to help immigration agents with investigations or arrests. However, they are allowed to respond for backup if agents request it.
What does the video show?
It shows several RPD officers helping Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop on Monday, March 24 on Lyell Avenue and Whitney Street. When the people refused to get outside the van, the agents called for emergency backup. Minutes later, several RPD officers arrived and a supervisor arrived.
RPD Chief David Smith said the officers in the video violated city policy by helping the agents to get people outside of the van and handcuff them. Those officers were put on desk duty while being retrained on policies and have since returned to duty. The city said the officers didn’t violate policy by responding, but did violate policy by handcuffing the people.
After the video’s release, some state elected officials defended the officers’ actions and criticized sanctuary city policies, saying they’re a way to circumvent federal immigration law.
Why is the Trump administration suing the City of Rochester?
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit on April 24, aiming to end Rochester’s sanctuary city policy. The lawsuit claims the city’s policies deliberately impede immigration officers from carrying out their duties.
The Justice Department argues that Rochester’s sanctuary city policy violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the city from obstructing the federal government’s ability to enforce laws. Mayor Malik Evans defended Rochester’s sanctuary city policy.
“We have not been served with that lawsuit yet, but let me be extremely clear. The City of Rochester’s policies have been around since I was six years old, going back to 1986,” Evans said. “Any lawsuit that we get, you better believe that we will vigorously defend them in court, as we do with all lawsuits. But I will tell you this seems like another distraction.”
Watch our full interview with Homan here:
RELATED:
- Border Czar Tom Homan discusses planned visit to Rochester during a White House briefing (April 28)
- Border Czar to visit Rochester amid sanctuary city lawsuit; Mayor responds to lawsuit (April 28)
- Sparks fly during interview between Rochester mayor and News10NBC anchor (April 9)
- Border Czar Tom Homan discusses controversial Border Patrol traffic stop in Rochester (April 8)
- State senator criticizes sanctuary city policies after Rochester traffic stop sparks debate (March 28)
- See full video of RPD officers helping Border Patrol during a traffic stop (March 26)