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New York Statewide — Local Cops, Local Crimes Act: 287(g) ban and detention agreement prohibition

Statewide, NY FIPS 36000
Current status: ENACTED. The core 287(g) ban passed as part of the FY27 New York State budget signed by Gov. Hochul on May 27, 2026 (legislature passed final measures May 28). The budget prohibits new 287(g) contracts AND informal agreements that are functionally equivalent, designates sensitive locations (hospitals, schools, churches, parks, polling places) ICE cannot enter without a judicial warrant, bans ICE agents from wearing masks, and creates a private right to sue ICE/federal agents for constitutional violations retroactive to January 2025. Advocates note it fell short of the broader NY4All Act because it still permits some informal cooperation. Upstate Republican sheriffs and Nassau Executive Blakeman opposed and have threatened legal challenges.

The Fight

Governor Kathy Hochul introduced the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act on January 30, 2026, a sweeping legislative proposal that would make New York the eighth state to ban 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and ICE. The bill targets a proliferating enforcement infrastructure: 14 law enforcement agencies across 9 New York counties have signed 287(g) agreements since the start of Trump’s second term, deputizing local officers to perform civil immigration arrests. Hochul’s proposal would void all existing agreements and bar any new ones — and would also prohibit federal agencies from using local jail facilities for civil immigration detention, mass raids, or detainee transport — through July 2029.

Timeline

  • 2025-01 to 2025-06: Multiple New York sheriffs and county executives sign 287(g) agreements with ICE; Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman deputizes 10 county detectives as ICE agents in early 2025
  • 2025-06-24: NYCLU, Latino Justice PRLDEF, and Hofstra Law Clinic file the first New York State lawsuit challenging a 287(g) agreement (CARECEN v. Ryder, Nassau County Supreme Court)
  • 2026-01-30: Governor Hochul introduces the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act at a press conference flanked by district attorneys and sheriffs from New York City and supportive upstate counties
  • 2026-02-09: Hochul press release highlights “growing support” from DAs including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Richmond County, plus police chiefs and sheriffs from multiple upstate jurisdictions
  • 2026-02 to 2026-05: Bill negotiated into the state budget process; New York sheriffs publicly described themselves as “mad as hell” and threatened legal action; the broader NY4All Act (sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Karines Reyes), which would also bar informal cooperation and warrantless custody transfers, remained the advocates’ fuller goal
  • 2026-05-27: Governor Hochul signs the FY27 state budget ($268.5B), which includes the core immigration provisions. Effective via the enacted budget: a ban on 287(g) contracts and functionally-equivalent informal agreements; “sensitive location” warrant protections; an ICE mask ban; and a private right to sue federal agents for constitutional violations retroactive to January 2025, with the state AG empowered to investigate complaints
  • 2026-05-28: Legislature passes the final budget measures; Make the Road NY welcomes the 287(g) ban while pledging to keep pushing for the full NY4All Act, since the budget still allows some informal collaboration

Key Actors

  • Gov. Kathy Hochul — sponsor; framing as “local cops should focus on local crimes”
  • Nassau Co. Executive Bruce Blakeman — lead opposition; signed 287(g) in early 2025 and deputized county detectives; publicly defends arrangement against both Hochul’s bill and NYCLU’s lawsuit
  • Upstate Republican sheriffs — opposition bloc; several signed 287(g) agreements and have resisted state-level preemption
  • Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond DAs — support; aligned with Hochul’s framing that 287(g) diverts local resources from violent crime
  • NY State Legislature — bill pending; Democratic Assembly majority favorable, Republican-leaning Senate the pressure point

Connections

The bill is a direct legislative response to the rapid proliferation of 287(g) agreements under Trump’s second term. New York would join Washington, Oregon, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut in banning the program. The fight intersects directly with the CARECEN v. Ryder litigation in Nassau County (see ny-nassau-287g-deputization-lawsuit.md) and the statewide warrantless-arrest class action (see ny-statewide-warrantless-arrests-racial-profiling.md).

Sources

This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.
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Last updated: Jun 10, 2026