More than a dozen county sheriffs filed a federal lawsuit challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul's sanctuary law that prohibits state and local law enforcement from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on civil immigration matters.
The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, signed by Hochul in May and taking effect this week, bars law enforcement from entering into or maintaining ICE agreements for civil immigration cases. The law requires existing detention agreements housing civil immigration detainees to be terminated within three months.
The lawsuit, led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault, names the state and its law enforcement leadership as defendants. The sheriffs argue the state law unlawfully restricts their ability to voluntarily participate in federally authorized immigration enforcement programs, a power they contend belongs to elected county officials, not state government.
The suit asserts that sheriffs maintain independent authority to partner with federal agencies without state interference, framing the dispute as a separation of powers issue.
Hochul responded defiantly at a Tuesday press conference, warning that jurisdictions refusing to comply would face legal action from the state. "If you try me again, I say, bring it on," the governor declared.
State Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas to sheriff's offices in Broome, Steuben, Nassau and Rensselaer counties, as well as the Nassau County Police Department, demanding confirmation that the agencies plan to terminate their ICE agreements. Her office indicated it will file civil suits against agencies that fail to comply or provide insufficient documentation of compliance.
The legal dispute reveals a core tension: Hochul's administration is asserting state authority over local law enforcement's immigration cooperation, while sheriffs contend that as elected officials, they retain discretion to work with federal partners.
Hochul framed the law as redirecting law enforcement resources toward public safety rather than deportations. "Local cops should be hunting down criminals, not kindergarteners," she said, emphasizing that officers can assist ICE only in cases involving serious crimes, not civil immigration matters.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Hochul's Republican challenger, positioned himself in opposition. At a press conference held simultaneously with Hochul's, Blakeman signaled his likely involvement in the sheriffs' lawsuit, telling the New York Post he would "probably" join the legal challenge. He has previously defended ICE cooperation, citing statistics about immigrants with criminal records in his county.
The Department of Homeland Security called Hochul's law "insanity" that "leads to more crimes and more innocent victims."
Hochul's administration claimed court victories, with the governor noting that courts have upheld the law's constitutionality in previous challenges. However, the current lawsuit by sitting sheriffs presents a different legal theory, focused specifically on the authority of elected county officials rather than the state's general police power.
Trump has positioned ICE cooperation and mass deportation enforcement as central to his immigration agenda. His appearance at Nassau County events alongside Blakeman signals the political leverage his administration plans to exert on states that resist ICE cooperation.
The legal dispute could influence how other states approach similar restrictions and whether local officials can be prevented from cooperating with federal enforcement priorities.
