A new New York State law that bars local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities takes effect today, according to ABC News. The measure prohibits local officers from working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or holding immigrants for the agency in local jails, and it sets up a possible clash with at least one county that has yet to say whether it will comply.
The legislation is known as the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act. According to ABC News, it prohibits local government agencies from entering into or having agreements with ICE to carry out civil immigration enforcement, drawing a clear line between the work of local police and the federal immigration operations they are now barred from assisting.
The law did not arrive overnight. ABC News reported that Governor Hochul signed the measure back in May, giving counties a window before the rules took effect; the bar on cooperation and on detaining immigrants for ICE in local jails now becomes binding as of today, marking the moment the restrictions move from statute to practice.
At the time of signing, several jurisdictions were doing exactly what the law now forbids. According to ABC News, 11 counties were cooperating with ICE when Governor Hochul signed the legislation in May, and those counties said they would stop by the deadline that has now arrived, suggesting most were prepared to fall in line.
One county's position, however, remains unsettled. ABC News reported that, as for Nassau County, it still remains unclear whether it will adhere to the new law, leaving open the question of how the state will respond if a county ultimately declines to follow the new restrictions on working with federal immigration officers.
The standoff has taken on both a political and a legal dimension. According to ABC News, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running for governor, has said Nassau is considering its options on whether to comply; the central questions are whether Nassau could sue the state for violating its right to govern, and whether New York could in turn withhold funding from the county.
More clarity is expected within hours. ABC News reported that Governor Hochul is due to hold a press conference in Albany at 10 a.m. to give more detail on what the law entails and its guidelines, as officials and counties across the state weigh how the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act will be applied and, potentially, contested.