New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing mounting opposition from county executives and sheriffs over her proposal to ban local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, a move designed to protect immigrant communities from aggressive deportation practices that critics say separate families and undermine public trust in local police.
The Democratic governor is pushing to include sanctuary policies in New York's 2027 fiscal budget, including a ban on 287(g) agreements that permit local law enforcement to carry out immigration enforcement responsibilities, as well as limits on ICE access to schools, hospitals and churches, and restrictions on informal cooperation with federal immigration agents. Hochul first introduced the measure to ban 287(g) agreements in January, warning that those who fail to comply "will be taken to court for enforcement."
Local Officials Push Back
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is also the Republican nominee for governor, said he has been in discussions with sheriffs across the state about filing a lawsuit. "Kathy Hochul can make my day, because as far as I'm concerned, we're enforcing federal law in Nassau County, and a lot of the sheriffs throughout the state feel the same way," Blakeman told Fox News Digital. "They're mad as hell."
Todd Hood, the sheriff of Madison County and Blakeman's running mate, is one of the New York sheriffs opposed to the push to make New York a sanctuary state. Hood said, "I have sheriffs from all over the state contacting me, and they are all very upset about this. Almost all of them disagree. There's very few sheriffs who are on board."
There are currently 14 active 287(g) agreements with law enforcement agencies across nine New York counties. Under such agreements, local law enforcement officers who arrest an undocumented immigrant can notify ICE that the individual is in custody, allowing ICE to place a detainer on them. As a result, ICE can take custody of the individual directly from the local jail instead of having to locate and arrest them after they are released back into the community.
Recent Cooperation Outcomes
Nassau County signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE in February 2025, and since then approximately 3,200 undocumented immigrants arrested by local police have been transferred to ICE custody. Hood said, "These people are criminals. They're getting arrested. They're coming into our jail, and they're headed to the center about 40 minutes later after they get in," and said, "It's very safe and very effective, and we work together in law enforcement, that's our job."
Earlier this month, Elder Lopez Avalos, an undocumented immigrant, was arrested for setting 10 cars on fire in Freeport. His charges were not bail-eligible, so Avalos was released. But because of Nassau County's cooperation with ICE, federal agents arrived after his court hearing to detain him.
Hood also criticized what he described as lacking coordination during ICE's large-scale immigration crackdowns in Minnesota. He said, "Those local police should have been behind those agents, even if they're not doing the actual immigration stuff. They should have been there and had their backs down there, and that's a massive failure by that state and that won't happen under Bruce's administration."
Hood also said, "The 287 (g) program is absolutely amazing. It makes it so we don't have to go into people's houses." Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment.
Why This Matters:
The clash over sanctuary policies reflects a fundamental debate about the role of local law enforcement in immigration enforcement and the protection of vulnerable communities. Hochul's proposed restrictions on ICE cooperation aim to ensure that undocumented immigrants can access essential services like schools, hospitals and churches without fear of deportation, and to prevent local police from becoming extensions of federal immigration enforcement—a dynamic that immigrant rights advocates say erodes trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The transfer of 3,200 individuals to ICE custody in Nassau County since February 2025 underscores how 287(g) agreements dramatically expand the reach of federal immigration enforcement into local jurisdictions. With sheriffs threatening legal action, the outcome will shape whether New York prioritizes immigrant protection or expanded deportation infrastructure, with direct consequences for families, public safety cooperation, and the state's identity as a refuge for immigrant communities.