Chair Encarnación asks about federal agencies in civil immigration enforcement
Chair Encarnación asks whether all city agencies were told which federal agencies are now involved in civil immigration enforcement before reporting interactions. Ali says the audit identified nontraditional agencies like FBI, HSI, and ORR, and agencies were asked to report broadly.
In terms of the EO-13 findings, the audit essentially asks agencies to look at any interactions with federal agencies that were related to immigration,
even when those agencies had not historically played a central role in civil immigration enforcement.
So were all city agencies given information about which federal agencies are now looped into civil immigration enforcement prior to reporting on these actions, on these interactions?
Yes, during the audit, we identified that federal agencies beyond the traditionally associated agencies with civil immigration enforcement, like the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of Refugee
Resettlement, were all playing somewhat of a role.
We've asked agencies to take a broad approach in reporting their interactions with federal agencies.
And in other words,
We want agencies to report anything that they think can be potentially related to immigration enforcement.
And our goal here is really to capture as completely
a picture as possible.