Local law enforcement in Nassau County has transferred approximately 3,200 individuals to federal immigration custody since signing a 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in February 2025, marking its first anniversary. This transfer of individuals from local jails to federal agents highlights the state’s role in the systematic control of labor and the enforcement of immigration policies that maintain a stratified workforce.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and sheriffs across New York are threatening legal action against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Their opposition stems from Hochul’s push to ban local cooperation agreements with ICE, which they argue lead to the “safer removal of criminal illegal immigrants from the community.”
Governor Hochul is pushing to include sanctuary policies in New York’s 2027 fiscal budget. These policies include a ban on 287(g) agreements, limits on ICE access to schools, hospitals, and churches, and restrictions on informal cooperation with ICE.
Blakeman, who is also the Republican nominee for governor, stated he has been in discussions with sheriffs across the state about filing a lawsuit. He told Fox News Digital, “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.”
Todd Hood, the sheriff of Madison County and Blakeman’s running mate, is among the New York sheriffs opposed to the push to make New York a sanctuary state. Hood reported that sheriffs from all over the state are contacting him, expressing upset and disagreement with Hochul’s proposed measures.
The State's Enforcement Arm
Hood described the 287(g) program as “absolutely amazing” and stated, “It makes it so we don’t have to go into people’s houses.” 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.
Hochul first introduced the measure to ban 287(g) agreements in January of the same year. At that time, she threatened that if the measure passes, those who fail to comply “will be taken to court for enforcement.”
Under a 287(g) agreement, local law enforcement officers who arrest an individual they identify as an “illegal immigrant” can notify ICE that the individual is in custody. This notification allows ICE to place a detainer on them, enabling ICE to take custody directly from the local jail instead of having to locate and arrest them after their release back into the community.
There are 14 active 287(g) agreements with law enforcement agencies across nine New York counties. These agreements formalize the collaboration between local police and federal immigration authorities, extending the reach of federal enforcement into local communities.
Hood asserted, “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.” He characterized the process as “very safe and very effective,” adding, “we work together in law enforcement, that’s our job.”
Consequences for the Dispossessed
Earlier this month, Elder Lopez Avalos, identified as an “illegal immigrant,” was arrested for setting 10 cars on fire in Freeport. Avalos’s charges were not bail-eligible, leading to his release from local custody.
However, due to Nassau County’s cooperation with ICE under its 287(g) agreement, federal agents arrived after his court hearing to detain him. This case illustrates how local law enforcement, through these agreements, acts as a funnel for federal immigration enforcement, regardless of local judicial outcomes.
Hood emphasized that the key to success in law enforcement is when all agencies and jurisdictions work together. He argued that this cooperation was lacking during ICE’s large-scale immigration crackdowns in Minnesota, stating, “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.” This perspective underscores a unified state apparatus for control, prioritizing enforcement over community integration.
Managing Contradictions
Hochul’s proposed “sanctuary policies” represent a reform effort within the existing framework, aiming to limit the visible collaboration between local and federal immigration enforcement. While these measures may offer some temporary relief, they do not address the fundamental economic conditions that drive migration or challenge the underlying structures of immigration law that serve capital by creating a vulnerable, exploitable labor pool. The debate between state and local officials centers on the methods of enforcement, rather than questioning the system of immigration control itself.