Monroe County committees vote to accept $160,000 Operation Stonegarden border security grant despite opposition

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Two Monroe County committees voted to accept more than $160,000 in funding from the state Department of Homeland Security, but not without pushback from some members. Supporters of the funding pointed out that the funding does not require local law enforcement to act in an immigration enforcement capacity. Monroe County has participated in Operation Stonegarden since 2009. As the sheriff’s office has made clear countless times, accepting this grant does not turn Monroe County deputies into ICE agents. The final decision on the grant now goes to the Monroe County Legislature.