<p>The New York attorney general’s office has requested information from town officials in Oswego, New York, regarding their response to an incident where two suspected illegal immigrants hid on a roof to avoid arrest by Border Patrol agents.</p>
<p>The office of Attorney General Letitia James has sought details from local officials about the involvement of Oswego firefighters and law enforcement during a nearly six-hour standoff on September 30, according to Syracuse.com.</p>
<p>This inquiry arises amid ongoing discussions between local officials and the governor’s office regarding the cooperation of local police with federal immigration authorities. The incident gained attention after local residents reported it to Albany, although it remains unclear whether the two men had recently entered the United States illegally from Canada or were already being pursued by federal immigration authorities.</p>
<p>The Office of Immigration Trust within the attorney general’s office inquired with the Oswego police chief about the firefighters who arrived at the scene and set up a ladder at the request of Border Patrol agents, while local police managed the crowd of protesters.</p>
<p>Oswego Mayor Robert Corradino stated that the state requested 911 calls, incident reports, and body camera footage, emphasizing that “there’s no accusation … it was a fact-finding request.”</p>
<p>Local media reported that on September 30, two men working at a nearby home fled from Border Patrol agents and climbed onto the roof of a residence at 261 E. Seventh St. They remained on the roof for almost six hours, during which approximately 70 people gathered below to watch and protest.</p>
<p>The Border Patrol agent in charge of the operation reportedly requested a ladder from local authorities to access the roof. Firefighters brought a 30-foot ladder and leaned it against the home, but the two men on the roof kicked it off. The firefighters subsequently left the scene without being able to assist the men.</p>
<p>“The fire department, when called upon, goes to help people,” Corradino said. “That was their only mission that day.”</p>
<p>Border Patrol agents departed the scene around 7:30 p.m., at which point protesters assisted the two men in climbing down from the roof without firefighter assistance.</p>