Amtrak Police Targeted Gay Men In ‘Stonewall Era' Arrests, NYC Lawmakers Say

MIDTOWN, NY — Four Manhattan lawmakers accused the Amtrak Police of making discriminatory "Stonewall era" arrests at the men's bathroom in Penn Station in an open letter Friday afternoon.

In the letter addressed to Amtrak President Roger Harris, the lawmakers demand that Amtrak halt the crackdown, which they said was targeting the men's restroom and has led to at least 200 arrests for "public lewdness" since June, citing reporting from THE CITY.

According to THE CITY's investigation, Amtrak Police have been staking out Penn Station bathrooms with undercover officers at urinals and inside stalls to monitor men suspected of arranging anonymous sexual encounters on apps like Sniffies or Grindr.

Sniffies previously had a group devoted to that bathroom, but users recently began posting cautions about heightened police activity, THE CITY reported.

According to the Gothamist, 20 of those men arrested are immigrants who were later transferred to immigration custody.

Importantly, the Amtrak Police are a separate national entity not bound by city sanctuary laws, which prevent the NYPD from collaborating with ICE.

The letter was authored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, and signed by State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, State Sen. Liz Krueger, and Assemblymember Tony Simone.

"The reporting indicates that undercover Amtrak Police are using constitutionally dubious tactics to target individuals they perceive as targets for arrest, including by using apps popular with gay men and by approaching and propositioning users of the bathroom," the letter reads.

"While Amtrak is entitled to ensure that its facilities are not used for illicit purposes, we do not believe Amtrak should be doing so with a hostile arrest campaign reminiscent of anti-LGBTQ policing from the Stonewall era."

According to the Gothamist, Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said incidents at Penn Station have declined since the enforcement surge.

"Amtrak remains committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all travelers and will continue to monitor conditions closely, making adjustments as needed to uphold the highest standards of security," Abrams told Gothamist.

In the Friday letter, the lawmakers asked to meet with the Amtrak police to discuss the issue.

Read the letter here.

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