New York Governor Defends Law Barring Local Police ICE Cooperation

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is defending a new state law that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from participating in federal immigration enforcement agreements, a move that has sparked immediate legal challenges and sharp political criticism. The law, which Hochul has publicly championed, bars agencies from entering into 287(g) partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a program that allows state and local authorities to perform certain immigration law enforcement functions. The governor discussed the policy in a television interview on August 28, 2026, stating, "I just banned it. It is against the law now.