New York Governor Kathy Hochul Bans NYC Cops From Helping ICE Deportations

On January 30, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the introduction of the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, proposed legislation to prohibit local and state law enforcement from cooperating with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on civil immigration enforcement matters. This includes banning 287(g) agreements that deputize local police as federal agents, preventing the use of taxpayer resources or personnel for federal civil deportations, and barring local jails from being used for ICE’s civil operations like mass raids or detainee transport.

Governor Hochul emphasized that local police should focus on “local crimes” and community safety, not assist what she called “dangerous federal overreach” or “weaponization” by ICE amid concerns over aggressive federal tactics under the current administration. Cooperation would continue for criminal investigations, but not civil immigration enforcement. The move, announced at a press conference with law enforcement officials, aims to protect communities and strengthen safeguards, though it has drawn criticism from federal sources like DHS for potentially endangering public safety by limiting partnerships. This builds on New York’s existing patchwork of sanctuary policies (stronger in NYC) and responds to broader Democratic efforts in blue states to counter federal deportation priorities. The bill would apply statewide, potentially overriding agreements in counties like Nassau that currently participate.