New York bans local police cooperation with ICE on civil immigration cases

New York State has officially banned local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on civil immigration cases, a move Governor Kathy Hochul says will prevent local officers from being used to meet deportation quotas.

The new law, titled 'Local Police, Local Crimes,' aims to shield local law enforcement from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in what Hochul described as the Trump administration's "aggressive immigration agenda." She clarified that local police will only assist federal agencies if an actual crime has been committed, a practice she noted was standard until recently.

Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox warned that requiring local forces to conduct federal civil immigration enforcement erodes trust. "When trust is broken and residents fear calling the police, victims stay silent, witnesses don't speak up... we are all less safe," Cox stated. He and other police officials pointed out that their departments have historically not engaged in civil immigration enforcement, questioning the necessity of such agreements, particularly as local crime rates have declined.

The governor highlighted that the law has withstood legal challenges and is already practiced by 60 of the state's 62 counties. She challenged any local entities considering opposition. One exception noted is Nassau County, where local political leader Bruce Blakeman, who is seeking to unseat Hochul, has expressed opposition. Nassau County has historically faced challenges with gang violence and has a significant Republican voter base.