ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Big changes are expected for federal agencies across the board come Jan. 20 when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

That includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

What You Need To Know

  • ICE potentially facing big changes come next month

  • Possible changes at ICE welcomed by some and feared by others

  • High-level ICE leader weighs in on expectations for new administration

“We're a professional organization. We've been doing this for a while. We're used to change," said Thomas Brophy, ICE field office director out of Buffalo. "Change happens. We're not afraid of it. You know, it happens all the time."

A new boss – if confirmed – will take over ICE.

Trump "border czar" Tom Homan’s controversial plans are welcomed by some and feared by others.

Brophy weighs in on the expectations.

“I would welcome anything that would make our jobs easier," he said. "And our ability to communicate with our law enforcement partners at the state and local level, especially in New York state. This is where Ground Zero happened. We lost thousands of citizens on that day. It was tragic. You know, our agency was born out of the ashes of that event.”

Brophy says one of the laws his office would like to see go away is the "Green Light Law," which allows New York’s undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.

And if a license plate is run by police, the Department of Motor Vehicles is not allowed to provide immigration status to the authorities.

Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty has plenty of immigrants working the farms in his community and joins the conversation.

“I could definitely see that argument. You know, the other argument, if you had the advocates for the other side, they would be saying that that could be misused, or it could be a way to separate families, that they would be out running plates to see who is where and then targeting them with no type of criminal function in it," he saud.

“The law just says that the local police, authorities, cannot get the information and give it to any federal agency. That's the gist of the matter,” said state Sen. Luis Sepulveda, the lead sponsor of the bill turned law.

He adds, “Fortunately, Green Light is controlled by the state Legislature for the motor vehicle. So as long as the current administration respects the law, respects the intent of the law, there's nothing that Trump or his minions are going to do to change the law. Certainly not in the New York state Senate, where we have a majority.”

Whether there are changes on the state level or not, ICE also has to consider the international stage.

Asked how he is able to parse out the criminals compared to the folks who are legitimately seeking asylum and anybody in between those two levels attempting to cross the border, Brophy answers, “We don't really have the ability to vet these people from whatever country they're coming from. Most of these countries that people are coming from don't share that information with us, whether or not that person is wanted or has a criminal history back in their home country.”