“Nobody is above the law. In New York, we will not tolerate the diversion of local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement at the expense of public safety.”
Law enforcement agencies across New York state have been told that they must end cooperation agreements with federal immigration authorities by August 25 in accordance with state law.
Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia Jame announced the action on Friday, saying that 12 law enforcement agencies that currently have 287(g) agreements with ICE have been warned. The letters sent to the agencies were written by the new Office of Immigration Trust (OIT), which was created as part of a legislative package signed by Hochul in May.
Hochul said in a statement, “Nobody is above the law. In New York, we will not tolerate the diversion of local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement at the expense of public safety. That is why we passed a commonsense set of laws standing up against federal overreach and ensuring that local law enforcement are not deputized by the highest funded law enforcement agency in the country.”
She added, “My top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe. Ensuring our law enforcement remains focused on local crimes is essential to protecting our communities and maintaining public safety.”
James said, “New York is strongest when every community is able to trust the institutions meant to serve them. The Office of Immigrant Trust will help ensure that schools, local governments, and public agencies remain places of safety and support, rather than agents of the federal administration’s campaign of fear and intimidation. My office is proud to stand up for immigrant New Yorkers and prepared to hold anyone who violates our laws accountable.”
One such letter, sent to the Nassau County Police Department, stated in part, “The statute therefore prohibits your agency from conducting civil immigration enforcement pursuant to your Section 287(g) agreement effective immediately upon the Governor’s signing the legislation on May 27, 2026. The statute also requires your agency to terminate its agreement with ICE and provides that the Section 287(g) agreement will be deemed null and void in its entirety as of August 25, 2026.”
“In light of this new state law, we request that you submit information to our office regarding the status of your Section 287(g) agreement, including any ongoing activities pursuant to that agreement and steps you have taken to comply with the termination requirement. This can be in the form of a letter and/or documents sufficient to demonstrate your current activities under the agreement, the status of the agreement, and your plans for termination.”
Under the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” local police are prohibited from entering into cooperation agreements with federal authorities for the purposes of immigration enforcement. A press release stated, “This provision ensures that New York’s local law enforcement resources are directed toward local public safety priorities, rather than the federal government’s mass deportation agenda. Through OIT, Attorney General James will ensure that municipalities comply with New York law and that state and local institutions remain focused on protecting and serving New Yorkers.”
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