Local group urges Millerton officials to publicly condemn ICE tactics

MILLERTON — Immigration enforcement became a central focus of the Village Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, which drew a group of residents who called on officials to take a public stance in support of vulnerable community members.

Following routine agenda items, community members used the public comment period to urge the board to publicly oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and affirm protections for local residents. It marked the fourth time in eight months that residents have appeared before the village board to urge action on immigration enforcement, with no action or policy change to date.

Nine residents raised concerns about what they described as increasingly violent and deadly immigration enforcement across the country.

Eliot Ramos, who had previously addressed the village board on the issue, read from prepared remarks, saying she was “extremely distressed and emotional.”

Ramos urged the board and the police department to take action, warning that she was close to losing faith in local elected officials if they did not commit to protecting the human rights and safety of all residents.

“I urge you to be public in showing our community your moral compass,” Ramos said. “Please show us that we have elected people who really do care.”

During the meeting, Trustee Katie Cariello — who is several months into her first term on the board — said she hopes to keep ICE out of Millerton. Other trustees, including Deputy Mayor Matthew Hartzog, Matt Soleau and David Sherman, did not share their views during the meeting and did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jenn Najdek declined to comment following the meeting and would not say whether the board plans further discussions or next steps.

The village is not required to respond to public comments during their board meetings, but Cariello, Police Chief Joseph Olenik and village attorney Victoria Polidoro engaged in a conversation with attendees and answered several questions about hypothetical scenarios that could play out in Millerton.

“If our police officers are present and another officer — whether federal, state, or sheriff’s department — was breaking the law and abusing somebody against the law, we would have to take action,” Olenik said, though it was unclear whether that action would be through force in the moment or through a report and investigation.

Olenik and Polidoro said it is highly unlikely that ICE would notify the Millerton Police Department of its plans — or ask for assistance — given its part-time status and lack of involvement in immigration enforcement.

Although Olenik previously stated his department was legally obligated to support federal agents — and said in an August 2025 conversation with The News that he would not ask to see a judicial warrant prior to assisting ICE with an arrest — he offered a more conditional response during Tuesday’s meeting, saying he would ask to see documentation and provide support if it was lawful.

“We treat all our people in this community with dignity, respect, and compassion,” Olenik added. “I won’t accept anything less than that from my officers.”

After the meeting, Cariello said she appreciated the group for holding local leaders accountable. “I heard our Police Chief say that he will uphold the law, and I believe that to be true,” she said. “And I heard all of us say that we care about our neighbors and want everyone to feel safe.”

To date, Millerton has not entered into any voluntary agreements with ICE, as some cities and towns have done in states like Florida and Texas. During the meeting, Cariello said she would vote to oppose any such partnership in the future. Najdek and other board members did not state their position when asked.

Other residents put pressure on the board to weigh in. Laura O’Loughlin also read prepared remarks that were co-written by what she described as a large group of Millerton and North East residents.

“We just want to keep naming that immigrants are not outsiders in our village,” O’Loughlin read, adding that they are coworkers, neighbors, business owners and friends who contribute to the strength of the community. “When they are targeted with fear, intimidation, or violence, it harms us all.”

O’Loughlin went on to express concerns about the national pushback on protesters by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy,” she read. “Responding to it with force, especially against communities that already face disproportionate scrutiny and harm, is unacceptable.”

North East resident Bill Kish spoke to the importance of civic responsibility.

“I feel that if there’s one thing I can do — and that others can do — at this point in time, it’s to speak to power at every level, starting with the people who are here in this room,” Kish said, gesturing toward the board. He urged trustees to recognize that “people are sad and angry and scared,” asking them to carry those concerns up the chain of command.

Kish concluded the final 30 seconds of his allotted time with a moment of silence for the lives that have been lost at the hands of federal officials.

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes Local Cops, Local Crimes bill

Three days after the village board meeting, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a bill that would limit local police departments like Millerton from providing support to ICE.

The legislation would prohibit state and local police from assisting in federal civil immigration enforcement or using taxpayer-funded resources for that purpose. It would also restrict federal agents from using local detention facilities for civil enforcement activities.