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 (ongoing): Bill pending in state legislature; Republican majority in the State Senate is the key obstacle; Nassau County Executive Blakeman publicly opposes the bill, defending his 287(g) agreement as a public safety tool

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

• Governor Hochul press release: Local Cops, Local Crimes Act (Jan 30, 2026) — Official bill introduction with legal summary and supporter statements
• Governor.ny.gov: Growing support for the Act (Feb 9, 2026) — Lists DA and law enforcement endorsers
• City & State NY: Hochul proposes banning local cooperation with ICE (Jan 2026) — Analysis of political dynamics and opposition
• WWNYTV: Local Cops, Local Crimes Act explained (Jan 30, 2026) — Local TV coverage with details on upstate county agreements
• City Limits: Local police ICE agreements have exploded in NY (2025) — Documents the surge in 287(g) signings statewide