Hospitals on Long Island and in the region are gearing up for the potential arrival of immigration officers now that these sites are no longer largely off-limits to enforcement actions. Lisa L. Colangelo reports in NEWSDAY that the Greater New York Hospital Association recently sent its members, which total close to 280 facilities, guidance to help them prepare for the change. It includes questions and answers about warrants and subpoenas, a suggested memo for the public and advice on dealing with assertive officers. "Like all law enforcement officers, ICE agents take their work seriously and are trained to obtain information," one section reads. "They may use persuasion and even intimidation at times. When dealing with any law enforcement agent, it is important to be professional and calm."

The Greater New York Hospital Association suggests its members designate a hospital liaison, preferably in-house counsel, to take the lead when immigration officers show up at the facility. It notes that, in general, only a warrant signed by a judge requires hospitals to allow ICE agents to enter nonpublic areas. If an ICE agent says a patient needs to be arrested to avoid imminent harm or risk, "the hospital may decide to cooperate with ICE. But remember, without a judicial warrant, cooperation is not required."

Last week, President Donald Trump discontinued a policy enacted under President Barack Obama that labeled hospitals, schools, houses of worship and other sites as sensitive locations. Immigration enforcement agents were discouraged from making raids at those sites except in certain circumstances.

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The Riverhead Police Department will not get involved in immigration enforcement and related issues, which are “purely federal functions and are administered by federal agencies.” Riverhead Town Supervisor and Police Commissioner Tim Hubbard said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. “It is and has been the policy of the Riverhead Police Department that police personnel will not stop, question and/or interrogate or investigate, or arrest persons based solely on suspected immigration or citizenship status and will not detain any individual for suspected civil violations, federal immigration laws or a related civil warrant,” Hubbard said in the statement. “Such investigations or actions are federal functions and will be pursued by relevant federal agencies. The Riverhead Police Department may field requests for local agency assistance in connection with federal immigration operations within the town, the statement said. The police department enforces state and local laws and is tasked with maintaining public safety, said Hubbard. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Hubbard is a retired Riverhead Police detective who had a 32-year career with the town police force. He was elected to a Riverhead Town council position in 2015 and in 2023 was elected town supervisor. As town supervisor he also serves as police commissioner.

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The East Hampton Library’s Digital Long Island Collection has received and scanned more than 500 documents from Preservation Long Island’s manuscript collection, which covers three centuries of Long Island history. Christopher Walsh reports on 27east.com that with more than 3,000 objects and 185 cubic feet of archival materials, Preservation Long Island, founded in 1948, has curated one of New York State’s most significant regional collections of historical artifacts. Its collaboration with the East Hampton Library provides public access to a selection of documents from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, offering insight into Long Island’s social, cultural, political and economic histories. Digital Long Island is an online resource for exploration of Long Island’s history. It includes searchable scans of deeds, maps, letters, oral histories, legal documents, photographs and other materials such as whaling ship logs, poems,