Warning letters were sent to the handful of police agencies in New York with formal cooperation agreements between local law enforcement agencies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the state moves toward banning them by the end of August.
Through a newly created state bureau within the state Attorney General’s Office — the Office of Immigrant Trust — 12 local law enforcement agencies in New York received the memos on Friday, July 24, informing them of the new state law that requires all 287(g) agreements to be dissolved by Aug. 25.
The change is part of the state’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, a package of legislation included in this year’s state budget aiming to limit state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement. It was passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in May. The restrictions, however, are currently being challenged by the Trump administration.
“Nobody is above the law,” Hochul said in a statement. “In New York, we will not tolerate the diversion of local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement at the expense of public safety.”
“Ensuring our law enforcement remains focused on local crimes is essential to protecting our communities and maintaining public safety,” the governor added.
Here’s what to know.
How the new Office of Immigrant Trust aims to protect NY’s immigrants
The Office of Immigrant Trust has been tasked with enforcing the state’s laws surrounding the protection of immigrant communities across New York, according to state officials. Specifically, the agency will receive complaints, provide guidance to state and local agencies, conduct investigations and take legal action when necessary to ensure compliance.
“New York is strongest when every community is able to trust the institutes meant to serve them,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. “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.”
Which New York police agencies received letters?
A dozen agencies currently have 287(g) agreements in place in New York. These are the agencies that received the letters, according to the state, which span from western New York to Long Island:
In the letters, the agencies are asked to submit information by Aug. 14 about the status of their 287(g) agreements, any ongoing activities under the agreement and steps taken to comply with the termination requirement.
New York’s ICE restrictions continue to face strong resistance
The immigration enforcement restrictions, especially the 287(g) agreement ban, have been met with pushback from some officials all across the state and even at the federal level.
Just before the mask ban and identification requirement part of the state’s new immigration enforcement restrictions went into effect on June 26, Hochul and the Trump administration filed dueling lawsuits over the matter.
On June 22, the Department of Justice sued the state, Hochul, James and Assistant Attorney General in Charge Michael Russo in the federal District Court in Buffalo over these restrictions, which it says are unconstitutional and will endanger federal officers. In response to the federal suit, the state immediately responded with a lawsuit of their own on June 22, asserting the Trump administration’s efforts to block the new state law are unconstitutional.
At the local level, during a visit to the state Capitol in late April, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association sent a warning to state legislators, saying the restrictions “would impair the ability of Sheriffs to fulfill their Constitutional duty to protect the public.”
Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, who is running alongside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on the Republican gubernatorial ticket, said the ban would make “everyone less safe.” Blakeman has also shared this sentiment in recent months and touted his county’s ICE agreement as the “most comprehensive” one in a visit to Albany in May.
And earlier this month, Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler defended the county’s choice to enter into their agreement in a July 14 Facebook post, adding he’s “deeply concerned” that not allowing them “represents an overreach into the authority of locally elected sheriffs.”
Butler also acknowledged the ongoing federal lawsuits, saying the office “will continue to evaluate our legal obligations while remaining steadfast in our commitment to protecting the residents of Cattaraugus County.”
“We will continue to cooperate with our law enforcement partners to the fullest extent permitted by law and will always prioritize the safety and security of our community,” he added.
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers’ taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY warns police to end ICE agreements as upstate sheriffs push back
Reporting by Emily Barnes, New York State Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Emily Barnes, New York State Team | USA TODAY Network
