BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

​​CANTON — The North Country’s state representatives, St. Lawrence County Sheriff, District Attorney and other local police chiefs are calling on state legislators to pass legislation to exclude border counties from the “Green Light Law.” 

In an address to multiple news outlets, Senator Dan Stec called the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, which is often referred to as the  Green Light Law, passed in 2019, “simply moronic.” 

“There’s a growing crisis on our northern border, and especially here in the Swanton Sector, specifically the North Country of New York,” Stec said. 

“Because of the ill-conceived policies coming from the governor, there’s an ongoing crisis along our northern border. I’ve heard repeatedly from our law enforcement officials along the border that a major impediment in addressing security and illegal immigration concerns is the Green Light Law,” he continued.

18,000 apprehended 

Stec pointed toward the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act as a large catalyst for ongoing communication issues for law enforcement agencies. He said that due in large part to the legislation over 18,000 illegal migrants have been apprehended since Oct. 2023 in the Swanton Sector, which is a border region that includes St. Lawrence County.

The sector covers the State of Vermont; Clinton, Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence and Herkimer counties of New York; and Coos, Grafton and Carroll counties of New Hampshire. 

Stec says the number of people coming through Swanton illegally far exceeds the next closest sector on the northern border.

“They have only had around 1,100 in the same timeframe. The Swanton Sector has seen more apprehensions than two sectors on the southern border now. One is in Texas, the other is in California. This is a very serious, growing problem,” Stec said.

The Driver's License Access and Privacy Act was enacted on June 17, 2019 and took effect on Dec. 16, 2019. It allows all New Yorkers age 16 and older to apply for a standard, not-for-federal purpose, non-commercial driver license or learner permit regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States.

New York Only

“The legislation I sponsored in the Senate and advocated for today ends the Green Light Law’s restriction on federal and local law enforcement cooperation by allowing local law officers to work with federal immigration officials on finding and removing criminal illegal immigrants in our communities. As lawmakers, we have an obligation to secure our border and protect lawful residents. The legislation my colleagues and I discussed today would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal,” Stec said.

Assemblyman Scott Gray explained that the Green Light Law restricts the sharing of information between local and federal agencies. He said they can't access driving records or criminal records, which can create a dangerous situation for border agents.

"One border patrol agent told me that unless they change this, a border patrol agent could encounter a New York State resident with a murder warrant and not know it," he said.

Gray says the proposed changes would exempt border counties from the Green Light Laws, which would allow information sharing in counties like St. Lawrence County.

“As we face increasing challenges at our northern border, it is imperative that we enable full cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Gray.
“The current restrictions under the Green Light Law hinder our ability to effectively manage and secure our communities. Our proposed legislation aims to restore this vital collaboration, ensuring the safety and security of our residents. Together with Senator Stec and Assemblyman Blankenbush, I am committed to addressing these pressing issues and safeguarding our border regions,” he continued.

Bipartisan support 

Though it may seem like a party-lines issue, Stec said that is not the case. 

“The ‘Green Light Law’ passed largely on party lines, but we did have a few Democrats who voted against it, including Bill Jones,” he said. 

Jones is another North Country representative who represents Franklin County, Clinton County and the north western portion of Essex County. 

Opposition to the law extends beyond the North Country as well, Stec said. 

He detailed a core contingent of the New York City Council who called themselves the “Common Sense Caucus,” a group of six Republicans and three Democrats who have publicly voiced opposition to the law. 

In a letter sent to Governor Kathy Hochul on Sept. 4, the caucus called into question New York City’s sanctuary city laws. 

“When will our sanctuary city laws be amended to allow us to notify federal authorities regarding the deportation of non-citizens convicted of violent crimes?” the caucus wrote. 

They also called into question the lack of response to concerns raised by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, both of whom have been critical of the “Green Light Law” and sanctuary city laws. 

“The concerns raised by law enforcement leaders underscore the urgent need to reassess these policies in one of the current realities,” the caucus wrote. 

The letter went on further, Stec said, as the caucus raised concerns about illegals possibly being a threat to public safety. 

“As you know, New York City is a prime target for terrorism and we cannot afford to be complacent in the face of such threats. The inability of ICE to cooperate fully with local law enforcement due to existing sanctuary city laws severely hampers our efforts to ensure the safety of our residents,” the caucus wrote. 

Stec said those concerns are the same as those in the North Country. 

“There’s a connection here between these North Country Sheriffs and New York City politics and I want to highlight that for you, because I’m hoping the people in Albany, our colleagues in the legislature, and most importantly, Governor Hochul, understand this connection,” Stec said. 

Stec likened the “Green Light Law” to passing legislation that would prohibit different fire departments from using the same radio frequencies despite responding to the same fire for mutual aid. 

“It really is that stupid and just endangers the public and our law enforcement officers,” he said. 

Sheriffs speak

St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle also took a few minutes to raise his list of concerns, a list that continues to grow as lines of communication are still unusable under the existing “Green Light Law.” 

Engle, like a number of officers in local agencies, works as part of a federal task force and shares office space with federal agencies. 

However, under the “Green Light Law,” those local officers are not legally allowed to share information or access the same databases. 

He said that conflict could be a violation of the law. 

“We have to have this information. We have to know who these people are so we can further our investigation. It’s hindered, it hinders the process,” Engle said. 

But it extends beyond just New York. Engle said the issue is a national one that is growing. 

“The other issue is it’s not just a northern border issue. It’s way bigger than that. I said I wasn’t going to say a lot but, but it frustrates me. It should frustrate every American,” he said. 

He went on further, saying an open border policy is endangering members of the communities that he swore to protect. 

“I don’t understand how somebody can jeopardize every community in this country by having an open border policy. They say they’re vetting these people. How can they vet this many people?” he asked. 

Engle commented that relationships like those with Russia, China and Venezuela give him pause about the current border policy. 

He said given the strained relationships with some countries, it may be difficult to verify a migrant’s history. 

“If something doesn’t sound right, you need to check into it. I just can’t see any good reason to have an open border. Look what’s happening in Chicago or Colorado or other places. Why do we let it get that far?” he asked. 

The tone was similar when Franklin County Sheriff Jay Cook addressed the media. 

On multiple occasions, Cook said he has received complaints from residents along the border in his county who say they are afraid to walk their own property without a firearm. 

“Imagine that, imagine owning 100 acres, even five acres, and not feeling safe to walk your own property. They pay taxes on their property every year. They pay school taxes every year. They can’t even use their property the way they want without fear of running into illegal migrants,” he said. 

When asked by another reporter to elaborate on specific calls for assistance that involved illegal migrants, Clinton County Sheriff David Favro spoke of illegal migrants walking across people’s property, sleeping on properties and in barns and peering through windows. 

He said he would not give a specific name of any individuals who had called his office for assistance. 

Stec also spoke of the incidents, saying they were “well documented” and not just him “whipping up scenarios.” 

“We need to exempt any county that’s on the border, on the front line dealing with the illegal crisis and watching the illegals wade through the muck and woods, down the streets and along the farms, looking in windows and sleeping in out buildings and barns, scaring kids on school buses. This is all well documented,” Stec said.

Green Light support

Supporters of the Green Light Laws say the Driver's License Access and Privacy Act allows non-commercial driver license or learner's permit applicants to be able to submit additional proofs of identity to be eligible for a non-Federal license. It also waives the social security number requirement if the applicant signs an affidavit that they have not been issued a social security number and provides the DMV with discretion to approve additional proofs of identity and age. 

They say the legislation “protects the data of the applicants from unwarranted release.”

Supporters say the  legislation provides additional government revenue, supports New York businesses and increases road safety.

In a statement of support, the Business Council of New York State said that this legislation is “an opportunity to increase these New Yorkers’ ability to support local employers and businesses.” In Connecticut, where a similar policy was implemented four years ago, there have been almost 4,000 fewer unlicensed driving convictions and hit-and-run crashes have dropped 9% between 2016 and 2018.