A new law banning police and sheriff's departments in New York from working with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took effect Tuesday, facing immediate pushback from areas of the state that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. The law—the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act—was signed by Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in May. It prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into, renewing, extending or remaining in so-called 287(g) agreements with ICE.
Most of the localities that entered into those agreements are in areas that backed Trump's White House bid. "Any police department or sheriff's office that disobeys this law that maintains any agreement with ICE will face legal action," Hochul said at a press conference on Tuesday. The law has drawn praise from immigrant-rights advocates and sharp criticism from some county leaders and sheriffs, several of whom have argued that such agreements with federal agencies can help identify criminals in local custody and improve cooperation.
Multiple agencies that have complied with the ban have come together to fight the new law in court. "Although I must comply with this law while it remains in effect, I will not remain silent about its hypocrisy or its consequences," Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler told Newsweek. "Today, I am joining 21 other New York sheriffs in filing suit against Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James to challenge the State’s action.
"Compliance is not agreement, and it is not surrender," Butler said. The federal 287(g) program allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement powers to state and local law enforcement agencies through formal agreements. The program was created under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
Under ICE's current framework, agreements generally fall into three categories: Supporters of the program argue that it helps remove people who pose public-safety threats. Opponents and critics say that the agreements divert local resources toward federal civil immigration enforcement and can undermine trust between immigrant communities and local police. In Trump's second stint in the Oval Office, the number of agencies joining the program has soared, particularly in Republican-leaning areas.
Because local police and sheriff's departments have not worked with the federal government, DHS said over 6,900 known illegal immigrants with criminal records or charges had been released rather than handed over to federal agents between January 20, 2025, and December 1, 2025. This type of insanity leads to more crimes and more innocent victims," a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek on Tuesday. Hochul said Tuesday that the 287(g) ban would not affect whether criminals were turned over to ICE, telling reporters that police would assist federal agents "only if a real crime has been committed.
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