New York Rep. Pat Ryan is being derided as “Sanctuary Pat,” years after the Democrat passed a local ordinance banning cooperation with federal immigration authorities during the Trump administration.
The Hudson Valley politician was Ulster County’s chief administrative officer in 2019 when he signed an executive order prohibiting law enforcement and other county employees from sharing certain information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection unless their request was accompanied by a court order.
Ryan is the latest Democratic official to face charges for his politically charged pro-migrant policies, which came at a time when liberals were pushing back against what they perceived as then-President Donald Trump’s tough-on-deportation policies.
But with Ryan seeking re-election in the swing 18th District, the executive order could be unpopular with voters put off by the massive border crossings under the Harris-Biden administration that have sparked a refugee crisis in New York.
“Under Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Sanctuary Pat Ryan, every city has become a border city,” said a statement from the campaign team of Republican opponent Alison Esposito.
“Here in the Hudson Valley, thousands of miles from our southern border, migrant crime has shaken our communities,” the statement continued.
“Pat Ryan has not only refused to take action to make our communities safer, he proudly supports the open borders and sanctuary policies that have made our lives less safe.”
Esposito, a former NYPD deputy inspector who ran as a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022, accused Ryan of being too soft on illegal immigration and created a mocking website called “Sanctuary Pat.”
Ryan’s executive order of June 26, 2019, states: “No officer or employee of a county agency, including police officers, shall disclose information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of enforcing federal civil immigration laws, except as required by law.”
“Unless a lawfully issued warrant is available, no officer or employee of a District agency shall grant ICE or CBP access to any person in their custody or use of their office space to interview or question such persons when the sole purpose of ICE or CBP is the enforcement of federal immigration law.”
When announcing the decree, Ryan railed against expected “mass deportation raids” and “xenophobia.”
“We are a nation of immigrants … in Ulster County, we know that compassion, respect and justice are the right path to a stronger and healthier community,” he said.
“This Executive Order ensures that we all continue to uphold these values to ensure that all residents are treated equally and receive the respect and legal protections they deserve, regardless of their immigration status.”
Ryan’s campaign team defended his record on border security on Wednesday.
“Pat has the best record on border security in this race,” said Ryan spokesman Sam Silverman.
“Pat led a bipartisan effort with Congressmen (Mike) Lawler and (Marc) Molinaro calling on President Biden to declare a state of emergency in New York in response to the refugee crisis. He was one of only 15 Democrats to call on President Biden to take excessive action to restore order at the border, and he has pushed for the signing of several border bills, including the Securing America’s Borders Against Fentanyl Act and the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act.
“Unfortunately, this is an uncomfortable reality for Alison, who opposed the toughest border security legislation in decades, so she is desperately looking for any opportunity to score cheap political points to salvage her failing campaign,” Silverman said, referring to a stalled border security bill supported by Biden and Democrats and blocked by Republicans earlier this year.
“Alison can spend her time politicizing the border; Pat does the real work of solving the problem.”
