Will New York’s Law Prohibiting Police Cooperation with ICE Be Enforced?

The «Local Police, Local Crimes» law, pushed by Governor Kathy Hochul, went into effect on August 25, 2026 throughout New York State. The law prohibits 287(g) agreements that allowed local police to collaborate with ICE in civil immigration enforcement. The state Attorney General warned that agencies that do not comply will face legal action.

The measure affects 12 police agencies that maintained agreements with ICE, according to letters sent in July 2026. Immigrant advocacy organizations celebrated the law as a victory for public safety and community trust.

What exactly does New York’s new law prohibit?

The law prohibits local governments and police agencies from signing, renewing, or maintaining 287(g) agreements with ICE. These agreements allowed local officers to act as extensions of federal civil immigration law enforcement.

The law also prohibits local jails and detention centers from housing people for federal civil immigration violations. Additionally, it declares all existing 287(g) agreements null and void as of August 25, 2026.

Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislative package on May 27, 2026. According to CBS News New York, the law seeks to ensure ICE acts independently in civil immigration matters, without using local police resources.

«Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe, not acting as ‘de facto’ ICE agents,» Hochul stated, according to El Diario NY.

What are 287(g) agreements and how did they work?

The 287(g) agreements derive from Section 287(g) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. They allow state or local agents, after federal training, to collaborate in civil immigration enforcement tasks.

In New York, before 2025, only 1 of the 62 counties in the state maintained a formal 287(g) agreement with ICE. However, nearly a dozen counties participated in other types of cooperation, such as housing detainees at federal request.

Nassau County, on Long Island, was one that maintained this type of agreement. According to News 10, the law requires ending these agreements and prohibits future similar agreements. The regulation does not eliminate ICE’s authority in the state. It only restricts the use of local public resources for civil immigration tasks.

What happens if a police agency does not comply with the law?

New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, sent letters in July 2026 to 12 police agencies with active 287(g) agreements. The letters demanded they end those agreements by August 25, 2026.

The law creates the Office of Immigrant Trust, within the Attorney General’s office. This office will oversee compliance and can initiate civil action against agencies that maintain prohibited agreements.