Nassau and Rensselaer counties were the only two in New York that had not notified the state that they were complying with a new law prohibiting formal cooperation agreements between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Gov. Kathy Hochul declared, as about 30 people demonstrated in Mineola demanding that Nassau County end its agreement with ICE.
The Local Cops and Local Crimes Act went into effect Tuesday, prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies from establishing or maintaining 287(g) agreements, which allow local officers to assist in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.
At an event Tuesday morning, Hochul noted that most law enforcement agencies across the state had complied with the law.
“There are two that have not told us that they are complying,” Hochul said. “Once again, I want to recognize the work of law enforcement throughout New York State: sheriff’s offices, county police departments, and local police departments. “They never got involved in this.”
Hochul said the state Attorney General’s office was prepared to enforce the law against agencies that do not comply.
«We have worked closely with them. They are ready to act. “They are ready to intervene and ensure that the rule is met,” he declared. “And, again, to 60 of the 62 counties in New York State: thank you for understanding that the laws are there to be followed.”
Hochul’s office stated that counties “cannot choose which state laws to follow” and that those who do not comply during the 90-day transition period will “be held accountable.” The statement also clarified that the law does not prevent police from collaborating with ICE or other federal agencies to detain or arrest dangerous criminals.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has not said whether he will sue to overturn the law. Previously, he had stated that he was reviewing the regulations together with lawyers. His office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
About 30 people gathered on the afternoon of August 25 in front of the Nassau County Police Department headquarters in Mineola; There, representatives of immigrant rights, civil liberties organizations, unions and community groups urged Blakeman to follow the law.
During the rally, state Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages called on Nassau County to end its 287(g) agreement. “Communities should feel safe going to the police, not be afraid of them,” Solages said.
He noted that local taxpayer money should not be used to carry out the federal government’s immigration agenda and urged Nassau to “follow the law, comply fully with it, and end its 287(g) agreement, as required.”
State Senator Andrew Gounardes questioned Blakeman’s stance on “law and order,” accusing the county executive of demanding that others follow the law while he refuses to abide by a rule he disagrees with.
“What kind of stupidity is that?” said Gounardes. “You have to follow the law, they have to follow the law, unless it is a law that they themselves do not want to follow.”
Gounardes claimed that Blakeman would be “violating state law” if he maintained the 287(g) agreements, adding, “I know this man thinks he wants to be governor, but I think he needs to go back to school to learn how government really works.”
Jax Gutierrez, a Long Island youth leader with the organization Make the Road Action, spoke about the fear that immigration control measures have generated among young people and families.
Jax noted that the new law gives immigrant students greater certainty that ICE cannot enter schools without a warrant, and argued that communities are safer when local police do not act on behalf of ICE.
Serena Martin, executive director of New Hour for Women and Children, said her organization offers programs in Long Island jails, but has not been able to determine what happened to the people detained by ICE.
“We’re there every week doing those programs and we still haven’t seen a single person. We don’t know where they went,” Martin said. He called for greater transparency from Nassau County officials and declared: “Long Island should not be a hotbed of hate, but a center of help.”
State Assemblyman Noah Burroughs stated in writing that the ban would allow local police to focus on local crimes rather than enforcement of federal immigration laws.
“Banning 287(g) agreements ensures that our local law enforcement resources remain where they belong: protecting our neighborhoods, responding to crime, and building trust with the residents they serve,” Burroughs said.
In a statement, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Donna Lieberman, stated that Nassau and Rensselaer counties “are not above the law.”
He accused those counties of prioritizing “the spread of fear, political gain and terror toward immigrant communities” over public safety and the rule of law.
The state Attorney General’s office has issued an official citation to the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Department for failure to comply with the law, the office said.
