July 17, 2025 • 8 mins
Bruce Blakeman talks to Mendte in the Morning about his support of ICE officers as Democrats continue to try and hinder their ability to carry out deportations.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now on Capitol Hill, the Democrats do have a bill
and one of the co sponsors of that bill is
New Jersey's own Senator Spartacus, who what they want to
do is make certain that ICE officers do not wear
their masks and that they wear identification at all times,
even though it puts their lives at risk. They want
(00:22):
to push forward this bill. Corey Booker is one of
the co sponsors of that bill. In NASA County, they
want to do the exact opposite, and this is being
pushed by NASA County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Thanks so much
for coming on, County Executive, I really appreciate your time.
Tell us about what you want to do in NASA County.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, we passed a ban on wearing masks in public
about a year ago, primarily because we found that anti
Semites were engaging in harassing activity, violent activity against Jewish students,
against Jewish institutions, and we also found that criminals were
(01:08):
wearing masks to hide their identity, specifically when they're involved
in robberies, carjacking, shoplifting. We ban the wearing a mask,
except for wearing a mask for religious reasons or healthcare
reasons or safety. So to clarify the safety aspect of it.
(01:29):
When we saw what was happening all around the United
States with these crazy people who are pro criminal, anti cop,
anti law enforcement, attacking ICE agents and local law enforcement
because they were wearing masks, we set in Nassau County.
Wait a second, our ice agents that operate in Nassau County,
(01:53):
any federal or state or local law enforcement agency, if
they're involved in a specific operation pursuance to the rules
and procedures of their department, such as a raid on
gang activity, things of that nature, a drug deal, then
they could wear a mask and they would not be prosecuted.
(02:14):
So basically, we are protecting law enforcement. We've got their
back here in Nassau County and that's why we're the
safest county in the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, across the country, they are taking the pictures of
ICE officers, figuring out who they are, doxing them online,
telling them, telling people where they live, and their families
have been threatened. So identifying an ICE officer in a
raid is threatening their lives. This makes no sense. Now,
(02:46):
I know that Corey Booker's bill is not going to
go anywhere because he's a Democrat and the Republicans have
the majority, and I think there's some sensible Democrats that
are also going to say, no, that's going too far.
But if there were a federal law, what would happen
in Nasa County? Would your law supersede the federal law
(03:06):
or the other way around.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, first of all, I'm the chief executive officer, and
I set forth the rules and policies or a police department.
So I would fight that, and I would allow our officers,
and I would allow federal, state, and local law enforcement
agencies under the guidelines that I just said that it's
for a specific operation, that it was related to some
(03:32):
kind of operation which could be highly dangerous, like dealing
with a drug cartel, dealing with gang activity, and basically
it's just common sense to let them cover themselves, because,
as you said, Larry, there are these crazy people, anti American,
anti cop, people who are trying to out these law
(03:55):
enforcement officers. They tell them where they live, and these
people have fansies and their families are entitled to protection,
and we're going to protect them here in Nassau County.
So if they tried to do it, and I don't
think they'd be successful. But if they tried to do it,
I would fight at too thin now, all the way
to the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I'll tell you what. I just don't understand the Democratic
Party right now being on the wrong side. It seems
of every single issue, including this one. I don't know.
I'll tell you what, Bruce, they seem lost right now.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, they've become the party of the pro criminal. Everything
they do is pro criminal. Here in New York State,
they pass laws that are pro criminal, like cashless bail,
like raise the age. Everything they do is to make
it easier for criminals to operate, and it makes it
more difficult on law enforcement and it hurts the victims.
(04:53):
You know, the type of crimes we're talking about. Some
of these ICE agents are going after people who engaged
in murder, rape, drug dealing. Here in Nassau County, our
drug overdoses opioid and Sentinel are down forty percent. A
because we have a great police department that does a
(05:15):
great job. And b because the open border policy of
Biden Harris is over and President Trump is closing up
the borders and therefore the Sentinel and the other illegal
drugs aren't getting to Nassau County like they used to
or other parts of the country. It's just common sense.
But they don't care about our kids who are dying
(05:38):
from overdose. They don't care about young girls who are
sold basically into slavery. They don't care about car jaggings,
they don't care about shoplifting. They are very pro criminal
oriented and it's a disgrace. And that's why they're failing
miserably in election because they're on the wrong side of
(06:02):
the issues.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And their approval ratings at like twenty percent. And something
that's not reported enough right now in the media is
the fact that crime is down in every major city.
They kind of ignore that, but it is all across
since these ice raids. You had Pam Bondy visiting recently.
How did that go?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well? Went great. To get someone of her stature to
Nassau County for the opening of our new police training village,
which is the state of the art training village in
the United States, was something that we're very proud of.
She was very gracious, very kind, She spent a lot
of time with us, and she recognized the hard work
(06:44):
that we're doing here in Nassau County. We've probably got
one of the most sophisticated police departments in the United States.
And I would say, with some amount of bias and
pride that we have the best police department in the
United States. But also our Sheriff's department are bation officers
all working together, our civilian officers and employees all working
(07:06):
together to keep Nassau County safe. And that's why we're
the safest county in America. That's why Niche magazine said
we're the most desirable place to live in New York State.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Oh, that's wonderful. This training village. Describe it to me.
Why is this great for police work?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So we have created a whole village so police could
train realistically in a real time setting, in a real place. So,
for instance, we have a house of worship that can
be one day a Christian church, the next day a
Muslim musque, the next day a Jewish synagogue, so police
(07:43):
officers can train under realistic conditions. We've got a gas station,
we've got a mini market, We've got a restaurant. We've
even got a train station with a train. We've got
a bank, we've got houses. So when our cops train
in situations and in a village that will replicate real life.
(08:06):
And we are not only going to train our police officers,
but we've opened it up to federal, state, and local
law enforcement. We had the FDI there, we had the
Secret Service there, We even had CIA, we had state police,
we had police departments from all over the country. They
came there. They could not believe what we were able
to do. We've got a great commissioner, pat Ryder. It
(08:27):
was his vision and I said, pedal to the medal,
let's get this built. We got it built in two
and a half years, and it's beautiful and it's going
to save life. It's going to be safer for our cops,
and it's going to be safer for our communities.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Well that sounds amazing. And my guess is you're going
to get visits from police departments all across the country
and they're going to want to do the same thing
in their states and cities. Bruce Blakeman, you're always ahead
of the game. NASA County Executive, Thanks so much, sir,
Thanks for spending time with us today.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Thanks so much, Larry, enjoy your summer.
Now on Capitol Hill, the Democrats do have a bill
and one of the co sponsors of that bill is
New Jersey's own Senator Spartacus, who what they want to
do is make certain that ICE officers do not wear
their masks and that they wear identification at all times,
even though it puts their lives at risk. They want
(00:22):
to push forward this bill. Corey Booker is one of
the co sponsors of that bill. In NASA County, they
want to do the exact opposite, and this is being
pushed by NASA County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Thanks so much
for coming on, County Executive, I really appreciate your time.
Tell us about what you want to do in NASA County.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Well, we passed a ban on wearing masks in public
about a year ago, primarily because we found that anti
Semites were engaging in harassing activity, violent activity against Jewish students,
against Jewish institutions, and we also found that criminals were
(01:08):
wearing masks to hide their identity, specifically when they're involved
in robberies, carjacking, shoplifting. We ban the wearing a mask,
except for wearing a mask for religious reasons or healthcare
reasons or safety. So to clarify the safety aspect of it.
(01:29):
When we saw what was happening all around the United
States with these crazy people who are pro criminal, anti cop,
anti law enforcement, attacking ICE agents and local law enforcement
because they were wearing masks, we set in Nassau County.
Wait a second, our ice agents that operate in Nassau County,
(01:53):
any federal or state or local law enforcement agency, if
they're involved in a specific operation pursuance to the rules
and procedures of their department, such as a raid on
gang activity, things of that nature, a drug deal, then
they could wear a mask and they would not be prosecuted.
(02:14):
So basically, we are protecting law enforcement. We've got their
back here in Nassau County and that's why we're the
safest county in the United States of America.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, across the country, they are taking the pictures of
ICE officers, figuring out who they are, doxing them online,
telling them, telling people where they live, and their families
have been threatened. So identifying an ICE officer in a
raid is threatening their lives. This makes no sense. Now,
(02:46):
I know that Corey Booker's bill is not going to
go anywhere because he's a Democrat and the Republicans have
the majority, and I think there's some sensible Democrats that
are also going to say, no, that's going too far.
But if there were a federal law, what would happen
in Nasa County? Would your law supersede the federal law
(03:06):
or the other way around.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Well, first of all, I'm the chief executive officer, and
I set forth the rules and policies or a police department.
So I would fight that, and I would allow our officers,
and I would allow federal, state, and local law enforcement
agencies under the guidelines that I just said that it's
for a specific operation, that it was related to some
(03:32):
kind of operation which could be highly dangerous, like dealing
with a drug cartel, dealing with gang activity, and basically
it's just common sense to let them cover themselves, because,
as you said, Larry, there are these crazy people, anti American,
anti cop, people who are trying to out these law
(03:55):
enforcement officers. They tell them where they live, and these
people have fansies and their families are entitled to protection,
and we're going to protect them here in Nassau County.
So if they tried to do it, and I don't
think they'd be successful. But if they tried to do it,
I would fight at too thin now, all the way
to the Supreme Court.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I'll tell you what. I just don't understand the Democratic
Party right now being on the wrong side. It seems
of every single issue, including this one. I don't know.
I'll tell you what, Bruce, they seem lost right now.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, they've become the party of the pro criminal. Everything
they do is pro criminal. Here in New York State,
they pass laws that are pro criminal, like cashless bail,
like raise the age. Everything they do is to make
it easier for criminals to operate, and it makes it
more difficult on law enforcement and it hurts the victims.
(04:53):
You know, the type of crimes we're talking about. Some
of these ICE agents are going after people who engaged
in murder, rape, drug dealing. Here in Nassau County, our
drug overdoses opioid and Sentinel are down forty percent. A
because we have a great police department that does a
(05:15):
great job. And b because the open border policy of
Biden Harris is over and President Trump is closing up
the borders and therefore the Sentinel and the other illegal
drugs aren't getting to Nassau County like they used to
or other parts of the country. It's just common sense.
But they don't care about our kids who are dying
(05:38):
from overdose. They don't care about young girls who are
sold basically into slavery. They don't care about car jaggings,
they don't care about shoplifting. They are very pro criminal
oriented and it's a disgrace. And that's why they're failing
miserably in election because they're on the wrong side of
(06:02):
the issues.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And their approval ratings at like twenty percent. And something
that's not reported enough right now in the media is
the fact that crime is down in every major city.
They kind of ignore that, but it is all across
since these ice raids. You had Pam Bondy visiting recently.
How did that go?
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Well? Went great. To get someone of her stature to
Nassau County for the opening of our new police training village,
which is the state of the art training village in
the United States, was something that we're very proud of.
She was very gracious, very kind, She spent a lot
of time with us, and she recognized the hard work
(06:44):
that we're doing here in Nassau County. We've probably got
one of the most sophisticated police departments in the United States.
And I would say, with some amount of bias and
pride that we have the best police department in the
United States. But also our Sheriff's department are bation officers
all working together, our civilian officers and employees all working
(07:06):
together to keep Nassau County safe. And that's why we're
the safest county in America. That's why Niche magazine said
we're the most desirable place to live in New York State.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Oh, that's wonderful. This training village. Describe it to me.
Why is this great for police work?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So we have created a whole village so police could
train realistically in a real time setting, in a real place. So,
for instance, we have a house of worship that can
be one day a Christian church, the next day a
Muslim musque, the next day a Jewish synagogue, so police
(07:43):
officers can train under realistic conditions. We've got a gas station,
we've got a mini market, We've got a restaurant. We've
even got a train station with a train. We've got
a bank, we've got houses. So when our cops train
in situations and in a village that will replicate real life.
(08:06):
And we are not only going to train our police officers,
but we've opened it up to federal, state, and local
law enforcement. We had the FDI there, we had the
Secret Service there, We even had CIA, we had state police,
we had police departments from all over the country. They
came there. They could not believe what we were able
to do. We've got a great commissioner, pat Ryder. It
(08:27):
was his vision and I said, pedal to the medal,
let's get this built. We got it built in two
and a half years, and it's beautiful and it's going
to save life. It's going to be safer for our cops,
and it's going to be safer for our communities.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Well that sounds amazing. And my guess is you're going
to get visits from police departments all across the country
and they're going to want to do the same thing
in their states and cities. Bruce Blakeman, you're always ahead
of the game. NASA County Executive, Thanks so much, sir,
Thanks for spending time with us today.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Thanks so much, Larry, enjoy your summer.
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