East Hampton police chief: officers assist on judicial warrants only, village sought to calm immigrant community fears

East Hampton Village Police Chief Jeffrey Erickson told a local radio program that his department does not enforce civil immigration matters and will only assist federal partners when presented with a judicially signed warrant.

"We don't have the authority to enforce civil immigration," Erickson said. "If it's a legitimate judicial warrant... we will assist them." He added the department has not had detainers and emphasized that officers do not ask callers about immigration status when responding to 911 calls.

Erickson said the village and mayor organized a press conference (covered by News 12) to reassure Hispanic residents that calling police when they're victims or witnesses will not automatically trigger immigration enforcement. He said the outreach sought to reduce fear so people would still report crimes and seek help.

Why it matters: In communities with immigrant residents, perceptions about whether local police cooperate with immigration enforcement can affect whether victims contact authorities. Erickson described proactive steps taken by village leadership to clarify police practice and encourage reporting.

Erickson also said the department will assist federal authorities on judicial warrants in the same way it would assist any other law‑enforcement agency with a judge‑signed order, and that the department does not initiate civil immigration enforcement or detainers on its own.

The interview recorded no new memorandum or policy language; Erickson described current practice and outreach efforts aimed at preserving public‑safety reporting among immigrant residents.