Hochul puts Nassau and other counties on notice to end ICE pacts

ALBANY — A new division of the state Attorney General’s office is telling 12 law enforcement agencies in Nassau and other counties to end their cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Office of Immigrant Trust said the agencies, which include the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County Sheriff Department, have until Aug. 25 under a new state law to end their agreements that use local law enforcement officers and jails to assist with immigration enforcement efforts.

The office was created as part of a larger package known as the Local Cops Local Crimes Act, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law in May.

The legislation is designed to limit state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement. It prohibits state and local employees from questioning people solely for immigration purposes unless they are required to by a federal judicial warrant and prohibits government employees from letting ICE agents into schools, parks, hospitals and other sensitive locations without a judicial warrant.

It does not prevent local law enforcement from working with ICE on criminal matters.

"In New York, we will not tolerate the diversion of local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement at the expense of public safety," Hochul said.

The letter requests that law enforcement agencies tell the Office of Immigrant Trust by Aug. 14 where their agreements with ICE stand, including any ongoing activities under the agreement, as well as steps they have taken to terminate the agreements.

Under County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is running against Hochul for governor, Nassau County has been an enthusiastic partner with ICE. The county police department deputized 10 officers to assist ICE with its immigration enforcement efforts and rents space at the county jail to the federal agency.

Blakeman previously said he would consider legal action against the state over the new laws.

Blakeman slammed Hochul in a statement, saying attorneys for the police and sheriff's department were reviewing the letter and would send a response.

"Kathy Hochul is hell bent on making the communities of New York state less safe. Shame on her," he said.

Madison County, where Blakeman’s running mate for governor, Sheriff Todd Hood, is from, has an agreement with ICE that deputizes local correction officers to serve and execute immigration warrants in the county jail.