New York Law Orders Nassau County to End Ice Agreement as Blakeman Challenges Hochul

A new state law requiring local law-enforcement agencies to end formal cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took effect across New York on Tuesday, placing Nassau County at the center of a growing political and legal confrontation.

The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act prohibits local police departments, sheriff’s offices and county jails from entering into or maintaining agreements that allow local officers to perform federal civil immigration-enforcement duties. It also restricts counties from using local facilities and resources to detain individuals solely for civil immigration violations.

The law does not prevent local authorities from working with federal agencies on criminal investigations. Its focus is on preventing local police officers and correctional facilities from being used for civil immigration enforcement.

Most New York counties have agreed to terminate their arrangements with ICE. Nassau County, however, has not committed to ending its agreements and is considering a legal challenge.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a close political ally of President Donald Trump, has strongly defended the county’s partnership with ICE. Blakeman has made immigration enforcement a major part of his public-safety platform and argues that ending the partnership would make Nassau County less safe.

Blakeman is also the Republican candidate for governor, challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in the November 3 election. His resistance to the law is now more than a local dispute, it has become part of the statewide race for governor.

Hochul has positioned the new law as a public-safety measure, arguing that local officers should focus on local crimes instead of acting as federal immigration agents. Her administration has warned that counties refusing to comply could face legal action and risk losing access to certain state funding.

By Kevin Shakil
Photo: Nassau County