Committee on Oversight and Investigations meeting
March 5, 2026, 10:00 AM
Jointly with the Committee on Criminal Justice.
The committee, meeting jointly with the Committee on Criminal Justice, held an oversight hearing on the Department of Investigation's reports on city agency compliance with sanctuary-related local laws.
What was discussed
- Chairs open the joint oversight hearing on sanctuary-law compliance Council Member Shekar Krishnan gaveled in this joint oversight hearing of the Committees on Oversight and Investigations and Criminal Justice, examining the Department of Investigation's reports on city agency compliance with the sanctuary laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration
- Immigration defenders describe the harm of agency cooperation with ICE An opening panel of public defenders testified before the administration. Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Director of Immigration Policy at the Bronx Defenders, said the Council enacted the 2014 sanctuary laws on the premise that local cooperation with ICE erodes trust and undermines public safety, and thanked
- DOI presents its findings on DOC and NYPD sanctuary-law compliance Acting Department of Investigation Commissioner Christopher Ryan testified on DOI's two 2025 reports on the Department of Correction's and NYPD's compliance with the sanctuary laws. He said both agencies had protocols in place but the point of failure was disseminating them down to frontline staff
- Where did compliance break down, and will DOI push for periodic audits? Chairs Krishnan and Brooks-Powers questioned Acting Commissioner Ryan on the breakdown and remedies. Ryan said the reports focused on the human element of dissemination, that DOI recommended periodic compliance and spot audits which both agencies were building, and confirmed under Krishnan's
- Should the city cooperate with ICE detainer requests? Council Member David Carr pressed Acting Commissioner Ryan on cooperation with immigration civil enforcement and ICE detainer requests, questioning the policy rationale for declining them. Ryan repeatedly said that question was outside DOI's report and a policy matter for the Council rather than for
- How broad were the DOI investigations, and what happens next? Council Members Gale Brewer, Susan Zhuang and Mercedes Narcisse questioned Acting Commissioner Ryan on the scope and follow-through of the reports. Ryan said the two investigations were tailored to DOC and NYPD, prompted by a former Speaker's referral and a DOC complaint rather than a broad sweep
- DOC testifies on its response to the DOI recommendations James Conroy, the Department of Correction's Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters and General Counsel, testified that DOC has largely accepted DOI's recommendations and detailed steps taken to prevent a recurrence, including trainings he personally developed and delivered based on the sanctuary-law
- Can DOC actually audit staff communications with immigration authorities? Chairs Krishnan and Brooks-Powers pressed Deputy Commissioner Conroy on auditability. Conroy said DOC could not quickly and easily audit whether frontline staff were communicating with ICE by phone or in person, that it had only recently worked toward giving all employees email addresses, and that
- How is DOC training staff and keeping the union informed? Council Members Gale Brewer and Alexa Avilés questioned Deputy Commissioner Conroy on training frequency, transparency and union engagement. Conroy described trainings run primarily by himself and legal staff, a 24-hour legal line with an attorney of the day for real-time guidance, and confirmed DOC
- Advocates warn on surveillance, Fusion Centers and immigration enforcement Public witnesses testified on the consequences of information-sharing. Jason Taper of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project pointed to a report on Fusion Centers, and Tania Mattos and Benjamin Remy described profound, harmful effects on immigrant communities, including people detained after
Agenda
1 item
- T2026-1030 Oversight - The Department of Investigation’s Reports on Agency Compliance with Sanctuary-related Local Laws. Hearing Held by Committee