New York is moving to cut off local law enforcement from federal civil immigration enforcement, arguing the practice undermines public safety and community trust.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state-level push called the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which would bar local police departments and jails from being used by ICE to carry out civil immigration operations. The proposal would eliminate so-called 287(g) agreements and prevent federal agents from using local detention facilities for mass ICE actions.
What the proposal would change
Under the plan, state and local police officers could not be deputized by ICE or use taxpayer-funded resources to enforce federal civil immigration law. Local jails would also be prohibited from holding or transporting people for civil immigration enforcement.
The proposal does not stop local or state police from working with federal authorities on criminal investigations. Instead, it draws a line between local crime enforcement and federal civil immigration duties.
Fourteen law enforcement agencies across nine New York counties currently have 287(g) agreements with ICE. If the legislation passes, those agreements would be void. New York would join seven other states that already prohibit them.
Tied to broader constitutional protections
The effort builds on other state proposals aimed at limiting federal immigration enforcement inside New York.
Those include a plan to allow New Yorkers to sue federal officers in state court for constitutional violations and legislation requiring a judicial warrant before federal agents can enter sensitive locations such as homes, schools, hospitals, and houses of worship.
State officials say recent changes in federal policy have rolled back long-standing limits on immigration enforcement in those spaces, disrupting access to services and eroding trust in public institutions.
Law enforcement voices back the move
District attorneys and police leaders from across the state voiced support, arguing that community cooperation drops when residents fear that reporting a crime could lead to immigration consequences.
Several prosecutors said victims and witnesses are less likely to come forward when local police are seen as extensions of federal immigration enforcement. They warned that crimes go unreported, cases weaken, and dangerous offenders avoid accountability when trust breaks down.
Sheriffs and police chiefs echoed that message, saying local resources should stay focused on serious crime, not civil immigration matters handled by the federal government.
What comes next
The proposal will move through the Legislature as part of the governor’s broader public safety agenda. Supporters say the goal is to keep local law enforcement focused on local crime, strengthen constitutional protections, and reassure residents that calling police for help will not put their families at risk.
State officials framed the effort as a public safety measure, not an immigration policy shift — one they say keeps New York communities safer by restoring trust between residents and law enforcement.
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