BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- While visiting the North Country on Oct. 7 state Sen. Dan Stec visited the St. Lawrence County legislature to offer an update on his attempt to repeal the "Green Light Law."

The legislation, which was first passed in 2019, has come under significant scrutiny in recent months as illegal border crossings in the Swanton Sector continue to surge.

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.

According to Stec, 19,000 illegal migrants have been apprehended by Border Patrol here this year alone.

Compare that to the next closest sector in terms of figures and the Swanton Sector paints the real picture, he said.

"The next closest is out near Seattle. They've had around 1,100 over the same time frame. So, they know it's easier to cross in the Swanton Sector," Stec said.

That's because flights into Canada are cheap and regulations allow them to enter the country with impunity, Stec said.

Stec commended St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle "for his leadership in his role on the border."

He commented that it was Engle who brought up the "Green Light Law" again to him.

"It's an old issue, an old law. I saw that and it jogged my memory. As it happens, there's a bill in the legislature that's been in the legislature for a while...we are carrying a bill to repeal the Greenlight Law," Stec said.

But that bill faces long odds and has failed to advance for multiple legislative sessions.

The legislation would exempt seven border counties from being subject to the "Green Light Law," allowing police agencies to share vital information regarding migrants who entered the country illegally, Stec said.

Stec 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 police officers and Border Patrol agents.

Stec pointed toward the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act as a large catalyst for ongoing communication issues for law enforcement agencies.

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.

"This law made it very easy for someone not here legally to obtain a driver's license that is indistinguishable from yours or mine," Stec said.

He said police officers conducting traffic stops won't know the difference.

"There is no information on their immigration status. No information on their criminal record in that case," Stec said.

Stec questioned whether such licenses would also allow illegal migrants to vote in elections.

"Voter registration and integrity of the ballot are of the utmost concern to us," he said.

According to multiple online sources, including the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 explicitly prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.

"It is not legal in any state for a noncitizen to cast a ballot in a federal election," the website states.

As well, no state currently allows noncitizens to vote in statewide elections, according to the Center.

Stec commented that he, along with Senator Mark Walcyzk, Assemblymen Scott Gray and Ken Blankenbush will continue to call on Governor Hochul to suspend the state's sanctuary status so the state can address the migrant crisis.

"If she doesn't repeal it with executive action we hope she will at least have a discussion about it," Stec said.

He said his office receives calls every day from constituents along the border who have migrants crossing their property.

"We have migrants banging on the doors of school buses looking for a ride. It's all documented," Stec said.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik also posted about alleged school bus incidents in an Oct. 8 post that can be seen here, however North Country This Week has not been able to independently corroborate such claims.

"It's not a disaster across the entire northern border, it's concentrated where we live. Two years ago we saw 2,500 apprehensions in the Swanton Sector. Trust me, Border Patrol are frustrated too," Stec said.

Stec said politicians and most media sources are largely focused on the southern border, calling the northern border the "forgotten border."

"Locals know, our local media knows now and North Country reps in Albany know what is happening," Stec commented.

He said with the coming election in November there could be a shift in border policy but in the meantime first responders and local resources are being drained continually.

Stec said he was recently in Churubusco with Stefanik to meet with first responders who have detailed their interactions with migrants.

Residents who have had encounters were also in attendance, he said.

"The stories you're reading in the paper, that you see online with migrants illegally crossing their properties. Those people were there at the meeting," he said.

"You can hear the fear in their voice and see it in their eyes. They're afraid to use their property along the border," Stec said.

While the state legislature is not in session, Stec said he and other North Country representatives will continue to push the issue.

"We hear you and we'll continue to do everything we can to help," Stec said.