EXECUTIVE ORDER No.1 OF 2017

WHEREAS, immigrants have made signi?cant contributions to every facet of the
County?s economic, educational, and cultural life; and

WHEREAS, meeting the needs of the County?s immigrant population is important to
maintaining public trust and con?dence in County government and its agencies; and

WHEREAS, the County?s Human Rights Law protects aliens from discrimination in the
areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations, and the County is committed to
enforcing those protections to the maximum extent permitted by law; and

WHEREAS, checking on the immigration status of Westchester County residents is not a
local reSponsibility and is only carried out in compliance with requirements of federal or state
law; and

WHEREAS, the obtaining of pertinent information, which is essential to the performance
of a wide variety of governmental functions, may in some cases be dif?cult or impossible if
some expectation of con?dentiality is not preserved, and preserving con?dentiality in turn
requires the government to regulate the use of such information by their employees;

NOW, THEREFORE, 1, ROBERT P. ASTORINO, County Executive of the County of
Westehester, in light of the aforementioned and in accordance with my statutory duties, do
hereby order that:

I. As used herein,
a. ?alien? means any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States;

b. ?illegal activity? means unlaw?il activity but shall not include mere status as an
undocumented alien.

II. A County officer or employee, other than law enforcement of?cers, shall not inquire
about a person?s immigration status unless:

a. such person?s immigration status is necessary for the determination of program,
service or bene?t eligibility or the provision of County services; or

b. such of?cer or employee is required by law to inquire about such person?s
immigration status.

 1. A police of?cer or peace of?cer including members of the Department of Public
Safety and the Department of Correction:

a. shall not inquire about a person?s immigration status unless such of?cer is required investigating illegal activity other than mere status as an undocumented
alien.

b. shall continue to cooperate with federal authorities in investigating and apprehending
aliens suspected of criminal activity.

2. It shall be the policy of the County to not inquire about the immigration status of crime
victims, witnesses, or others who call or approach the police seeking assistance.

IV. County law enforcement of?cers and other County agencies and employees shall not
threaten to contact federal immigration authorities or threaten to transmit any information about
any individual?s citizenship, or immigration status to federal immigration authorities.

V. County police of?cers shall not stop, question, interrogate, investigate or arrest an
individual based solely upon any of the following:

a. actual or suSpected citizenship, or immigration status; or
b. actual or suSpected country of birth.

VI. This Executive Order shall take effect on the date hereof, and shall remain in effect until
otherwise superseded, repealed, modi?ed, or revoked.

VII. Executive Order No. 4 of 2006 is hereby repealed and rescinded.

MF 

ROBERT P. ASTORINO
County Executive

Dated: September 20, 2017
White Plains, New York