ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Both Mayor Malik Evans and the Locust Club held separate press conferences after Border Czar Tom Homan’s visit Tuesday.

Evans did not meet with Homan during his visit, but he did speak to the press after a “Roc Resilience Roundtable,” meeting that involved community members who feel the city is being under attack.

Over 40 community leaders met with Evans Tuesday to talk about the broader issues in the Rochester community, according to Evans.

“We are going to stand in unity, as a community to ensure that we work collectively to be able to move Rochester forward,” said Evans.

Evans said they plan to rollout a series of actions in response to the “nonsense,” they have received from the federal government.

“What we are seeing is distraction, division, distortion. Period,” said Evans. He also said that our community needs unity, and that should be the number one message.

This meeting comes just as Homan visited the Locust Club Tuesday to meet with leaders of the union that represents Rochester Police officers. Although this meeting happened amidst Homan’s visit, Evans says this was planned long before Homan announced his visit.

What sparked Homan’s visit was a video that shows RPD officers helping Border Patrol agents during a traffic stop, which sparked a debate over sanctuary city policies.

On April 24, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit aiming to end Rochester’s sanctuary city policy. In this lawsuit claims the city’s policies impede immigration officers from carrying out their duties.

Evans confirmed they still have not been served with the lawsuit, but when they are served with it, they will defend this in court.

“Who would’ve ever thought that we’d be talking about cities having their rights infringed upon,” said Evans. “And that’s what the federal government is trying to do.”

There was also a press conference held at the Locust Club by the Rochester Police Union after Homan’s visit, where they said they heard what they wanted to hear, that Homan has their backs and so do other police.

The union heads were surrounded by police from New York City, Seattle and Hawaii. Police Union President Geoffrey Wiater said their officers went there to assist Border Patrol agents and did not know what they were going to.

“They did what we are trained to do,” said Wiater.

The other officers alongside Wiater said politics “should not seep into public safety,” and they agree with what Homan said to the officer, that “cops should back up other cops.”

Denny Wright, an RPD officer who was nearly killed six years ago, was inside the room during Homan’s visit and was satisfied with what he heard and was glad about his visit.

“We have to protect to each other,” said Wright. “I’m glad that Homan was here to voice that to us.”

Both Wright and Wiater said during Homan’s meeting, he said he supports law enforcement and has their backs.

You can watch the full press conference with Evans here:

Watch the full press conference at the Locust Club here:

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