The Nassau Bar Association issued a statement on Jan. 28 calling for an investigation into the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
The statement reiterates support for American Bar Association President Michelle Behnke’s call for accountability.
“Only through a full and proper investigation will the facts of these incidents come to light,” Behnke said. “The Rule of Law undergirds these inalienable rights. It ensures that all people and all government entities are accountable to laws that are clear, just and fair.”
The statements refer to the killings of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was also 37. Both were U.S. citizens killed by federal immigration enforcement agents.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ is opening an investigation into Pretti’s death at a press conference on Jan. 30.
“Transparency is critical in our legal system, and that’s what we’re calling for,” Nassau Bar Association President James Joseph said in an interview. He said the proper authorities, whether federal, state, or local, should investigate as appropriate under normal protocols.
In Nassau County, police have transferred detainees into ICE custody, and County Executive Bruce Blakeman has spoken out against New York State’s sanctuary status.
“I would cooperate with ICE, and I would sign an executive order the first day I get into office that we are no longer a sanctuary state,” Blakeman, who is running for governor, told Newsweek.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, on the other hand, announced the introduction of new legislation that would prohibit local law enforcement from being deputized by ICE for immigration enforcement.
The Long Island Hispanic Bar Association issued a statement in support of the governor’s announcement.
“We strongly support Gov. Kathy Hochul’s agenda to strengthen protections for New Yorkers against overreach by federal immigration enforcement, including holding officials accountable for constitutional violations and safeguarding sensitive places like schools, hospitals and houses of worship,” it said.
“New Yorkers deserve a governor who stands with law enforcement, not someone who undermines their ability to protect the public,” Blakeman said in a release. “Kathy Hochul should reverse this dangerous policy immediately.”
At the federal level, U.S. representatives from Long Island, Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre), crossed party lines to support a Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Suozzi later distanced himself from the vote following Pretti’s shooting.
“I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis,” Suozzi wrote. “I hear the anger from my constituents, and I take responsibility for that.”
