By Edward D. Dadakis
If Greenwich police arrest someone in town— a convicted felon here illegally—should they be allowed to notify federal immigration authorities if there’s an outstanding detainer (a request to local law enforcement from U.S. Immigration and Customs) for that convict?
Seems like an easy question. The answer is, of course they should. But thanks to Connecticut’s 2019 misnamed “Trust Act” they can’t.
That law, which even a few Democrats opposed, is an extreme outlier. Few states have anything like it. It protects criminals, not communities or their children. And let’s be clear: We’re not talking about some guy with an expired visa. We’re talking about people who have already been convicted of serious crimes.
Why is this even an issue? Because Democrats and especially Governor Ned Lamont are saying that illegal aliens are welcome in Connecticut, even the most violent.
Once again it is our State Senator Ryan Fazio who is fighting back to protect the regular people of Connecticut like you and me. He has said enough of this nonsense and has called for rolling back the law, giving police their authority back, and letting law enforcement do what they do best—protect us.
For that, local Democrats have gone off the rails.
The Greenwich Democratic Town Committee put out a ridiculous statement saying Fazio wants to “divert” police from their work by making them focus on immigration enforcement. That’s a flat-out lie. The 2019 Trust Act does the exact opposite—it prevents cops from doing their jobs. It takes tools away from them. It strips them of the ability to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to work with federal authorities.
Then there was the opinion piece in the Greenwich Time by far left wing Democrat alarmist David Raf ferty. He didn’t bother debating the issue. Instead, he went straight to hateful character attacks and lies in an effort to scare people.
And what’s the big scare tactic Rafferty and the Democrats are using? That Fazio’s position would “bring ICE to Greenwich.” Please. ICE can come here no matter what the state law says. The only thing repealing the Trust Act would do is give our police the ability to cooperate when a known criminal is in custody.
That’s it.
And here’s why it matters:
While Democrats and Raferty may think the only illegals in our area are kind folks who help out with household chores the reality is much different. Just a few months ago in Stamford, two illegal immigrants from Venezuela—members of a violent gang—kidnapped, robbed, tortured, and murdered a man. Had police encountered them before the crime, the Trust Act would have prevented them from being held for ICE, even if there was an active detainer.
Or take the case of the illegal immigrant from Jamaica, convicted of sexually assaulting two minors (read children). He served just 21 months in prison, and despite a detainer from Biden’s ICE, Connecticut let him walk free. Perhaps he is in your neighborhood right now.
Or the illegal immigrant from Honduras, convicted of sexually assaulting a child under 13. Again, ICE put in a detainer. And again, Connecticut released him. Where is he now? I don’t know ask Lamont or Raferty.
This is insanity.
Does anyone—Republican or Democrat— actually believe these criminals should have been released? Of course not. But because of the Democrat’s Trust Act, that’s exactly what happens.
Fazio understands this, which is why he’s fighting to change it. His opponents? They’re throwing around personal attacks, hoping voters don’t notice the facts.
They should be embarrassed. They owe Ryan an apology. More importantly, they owe the public an honest debate.
Because at the end of the day, repealing the Trust Act isn’t about politics. It’s about whether our police should be allowed to do their jobs and whether our children should be protected.
Ryan Fazio is right. His critics are wrong. And the people of Greenwich know it.
Edward Dadakis has served in Greenwich town government for more than 40 years. You can follow him on Twitter at Eddie on Watch.
