Albany, New York — Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday proposed legislation that would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from being deputized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for federal civil immigration enforcement, opening a new front in New York’s ongoing dispute with the Trump administration over immigration policy.
Under the proposal, local police departments would be barred from entering agreements that allow officers to act as federal immigration agents or use state and local taxpayer resources to assist ICE in civil detention and deportation efforts. Hochul said the measure is aimed at preventing cooperation in cases involving otherwise law-abiding undocumented immigrants, while still allowing coordination with federal authorities when individuals are accused or convicted of serious crimes.
“This is about a rogue federal agency that’s been unleashed on American streets for the sole purpose of creating chaos, carnage and fear,” Hochul said, accusing the Trump administration of encouraging ICE agents to treat communities as adversaries rather than partners.
The proposal directly targets so-called 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to be deputized for immigration enforcement. Nassau County is one of eight counties in New York that currently participate in the program. Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Hochul’s likely GOP opponent in the upcoming election, has vowed to repeal the measure if elected, calling the governor “pro-criminal” and arguing that ICE partnerships enhance public safety.
Hochul countered that New York already arrests, prosecutes, and deports undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, and said the new law would preserve that approach while limiting broader civil enforcement cooperation.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
