Blakeman bows to New York law limiting cooperation with ICE

Key Points:

• Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has complied with a new state law banning formal cooperation agreements between local police and ICE, but will still encourage officers to cooperate with federal immigration agents when possible and join a lawsuit challenging the law.
• The state law prohibits local jails from holding individuals for ICE and aims to limit local police involvement in immigration enforcement, with supporters arguing it helps focus police on local crimes and protects immigrant communities from aggressive ICE tactics.
• Governor Kathy Hochul defended the law, stating that crime rates have dropped without 287(g) agreements and criticized Republicans for portraying undocumented immigrants as criminals, emphasizing the importance of local police focusing on local crime.
• Nassau and Rensselaer counties have been asked by the state Attorney General to provide documents on compliance, while Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault leads a federal lawsuit claiming the law infringes on sheriffs' constitutional authority.
• Blakeman warned that the law endangers public safety by preventing timely ICE involvement with immigrants accused of serious crimes, accusing Hochul and Democrats of bearing responsibility for crimes committed by undocumented immigrants released pending trial.