Brewster Plans to Enforce Immigration Laws
by Marianne McCune


BREWSTER, NY September 14, 2007 —With an upcoming election and a few high profile crimes by illegal immigrants in the news, another small town outside New York City is planning to get its police officers deputized to enforce immigration laws. WNYC's Marianne McCune reports.

REPORTER: The Village of Brewster's ample supply of immigrant day laborers is a primary attraction for contractors and landscapers and the subject of heated debate for residents.

REPORTER: Some are outraged illegal immigrants are allowed to use public services some say they fear Main Street, where the men wait for work.

REPORTER: Last year Mayor John Degnan created a local police force to maintain order, but not - he said - to enforce immigration laws. Now, as a candidate for Supervisor of the larger Town of Southeast, he is switching course: he's applied to a federal program that would allow his officers to arrest and detain illegal immigrants with criminal records.

DENGAN: “We're not interested in enforcing civil violators of federal immigration laws. We're interested in dealing with folks who are criminals.â€