Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is defending a newly enacted New York law barring local law enforcement agencies from entering into or maintaining agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, setting up a legal and political confrontation with sheriffs and local officials who oppose the measure.
The law, known as the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into or maintaining agreements that allow local officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement. Local law enforcement agencies can still assist federal authorities in nonimmigration matters, but they are prohibited from participating in immigration enforcement carried out as part of the Trump administration’s deportation efforts.
