Response to the attempted ICE action in Hudson

To the editor:

I’m writing in response to the article about the attempted ICE action in Hudson on March 5. Hudson Police were dispatched to the scene, as was prudent, but their actions once they arrived are questionable.

If, as Chief Moore and Mayor Rector claim, they were just trying to “keep the peace,” shouldn’t they be confronting those seeking to “disturb the peace” and violate the rights of individuals? Trying to detain individuals without a valid warrant, harassing American citizens, attempting to conduct an illegal search, are all violations. Why weren’t the police and the City intervening on behalf of those whose rights are being violated?

This is a question citizens have a right to decide, and through their representatives on the City Council, they have done so. The Police are not authorized to “keep the peace” in order that those breaking the law, albeit in uniform and with an “official” title, can do so with impunity. It is their duty to protect citizens from those who seek to perform illegal acts, no matter who those perpetrators may be.

The City and the HPD need to apologize to those involved, and to resolve publicly to fulfill their duty more carefully and responsibly in the future.

Ned Depew

Stuyvesant