Law enforcement officials across New York are preparing legal action against Gov. Kathy Hochul's effort to ban local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, arguing that existing partnerships have proven essential for public safety and efficient removal of criminal illegal immigrants from communities. The confrontation highlights growing tensions between state-level sanctuary policies and local law enforcement priorities.
The Proposed Restrictions
Hochul is pushing to include sanctuary policies in New York's 2027 fiscal budget, including a ban on 287(g) agreements, limits on ICE access to schools, hospitals and churches, and restrictions on informal cooperation with ICE. A 287(g) agreement permits local and state law enforcement officials to carry out certain immigration enforcement responsibilities under the direction of federal immigration enforcement agents. There are currently 14 active 287(g) agreements with law enforcement agencies across nine New York counties.
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."
Proven Results in Nassau County
Nassau County signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE in February 2025, and since then approximately 3,200 illegal immigrants arrested by local police have been transferred to ICE custody. Under a 287(g) agreement, local law enforcement officers who arrest an illegal 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.
Hood said, "The 287 (g) program is absolutely amazing. It makes it so we don't have to go into people's houses." He added, "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. 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 illegal 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.
State Enforcement Threats
Hochul first introduced the measure to ban 287(g) agreements in January. She threatened at the time that if the measure is passed, those who fail to comply "will be taken to court for enforcement." The governor's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Hood said the key to success in law enforcement is when all agencies and jurisdictions are working together, something he argued was lacking 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."
Why This Matters:
The conflict between New York's governor and local law enforcement officials represents a fundamental question about the proper balance between state policy preferences and federal immigration law enforcement. With 3,200 criminal illegal immigrants transferred to ICE custody in Nassau County alone since February 2025, the 287(g) agreements demonstrate measurable impact on public safety. The proposed ban would force ICE agents to locate and arrest individuals after their release into communities rather than taking custody directly from jails, potentially increasing risks to both law enforcement and the public. The legal challenge threatened by sheriffs could establish important precedents about whether states can prohibit local cooperation with federal authorities, with implications extending beyond immigration policy to other areas of intergovernmental coordination.