Modified: June 21, 2019 9:17am
Created: June 21, 2019 9:17am
June 21, 2019
Anonymous tips will be forwarded to federal officials charged with investigating citizenship status
Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr. expanded his Whistleblower Hotline after New York State approved the “Green Light” law that grants illegal immigrants the right to receive a driver’s license. State leaders, without regard for federal law or safety, included language in the law that threatens legal action against any County Clerk or employee who provides information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, by utilizing the Comptroller’s Whistleblower Hotline, anyone can leave a tip anonymously. That information will be forwarded to the appropriate federal contact.
“Governor Cuomo and his radical partners in government place the rights of illegal immigrants ahead of law abiding taxpayers. It places County Clerks in a difficult position. The Constitution of the United States affords rights to citizens. Anyone here illegally should not be afforded the same rights or privileges as a legal citizen. This is a slap in the face to law abiding taxpayers that play by the rules.”
“To preserve the integrity of our electoral process and protect law enforcement, I expanded my Whistleblower Hotline to provide a direct and anonymous tip to ICE from County Clerks or their employees who suspect an illegal alien has requested a driver’s license. The threat from Governor Cuomo to remove County Clerks from office is real. I’m simply providing them a tool to report illegal immigrants to federal law enforcement without the fear of being forcibly kicked out of office,” said Comptroller Mychajliw.
The new feature on the Comptroller’s Whistleblower Hotline, found at www.erie.gov/comptroller, reads: “If you are or work for a County Clerk in New York State and you suspect that a person who is in the United States illegally has applied for a driver’s license, you can anonymously report it to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by calling their hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or electronically on their website. Another available option, is utilizing our anonymous Erie County Whistleblower Hotline. All tips received will be forwarded to ICE officials by Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw.”
“Once an illegal immigrant has a valid NYS driver’s license in hand, they have a legal document that can be used unlawfully to register to vote,” added Comptroller Mychajliw.
Prior to state leaders voting on the “Green Light” law, Comptroller Mychajliw issued a report that outlined these negative consequences in detail.
“My findings concluded that granting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants jeopardizes public safety, disrupts the integrity of our electoral system and could cost taxpayers millions of dollars in implementation and legal costs. Now, I am once again using the powers of my office to fix the mess that Albany made. I urge clerks and employees to do what is right. They can use my Whistleblower Hotline to report suspected illegal immigrants directly and anonymously to ICE,” Comptroller Mychajliw said.
In the few days since the law was signed on June 10th, a news report has surfaced that during the debate on the Senate, bill sponsor Luis Sepúlveda (D-Bronx) admitted it can be easier for illegal immigrants to register to vote. Senator Sepúlveda is on record stating his belief that illegal immigrants could vote with a valid New York State drivers’ license.
Even legislative sponsor Luis Sepúlveda (D-Bronx) admitted the provision could be abused. “Theoretically, they (illegal immigrants) could have the ability to vote,” he said while arguing for the bill during a Monday hearing in Albany.
Source: New York Post, “Loophole in law granting illegal immigrants driver’s licenses could lead to voter fraud,” June 18, 2019, Bernadette Hogan, Nolan Hicks and Max Jaeger
New York State’s “Motor-Voter” law requests only a driver’s license number to complete a voter registration form. As stated in the Comptroller’s report, and supported by Board of Election commissioners across the state, this new law kicks the door wide open for potential voter fraud.
“I believe the real intent of this reckless law is to give illegal immigrants the right to vote. The state now wants to bully County Clerks into staying silent on granting illegal aliens driver’s licenses. My Whistleblower Hotline provides another tool in the toolbox for them to lawfully report illegal aliens to ICE in an anonymous manner,” concluded Comptroller Mychajliw.