New York Sheriffs Vow Legal Fight as Hochul Pushes to Scrap ICE Partnership Program

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and a growing number of New York sheriffs are preparing to take legal action against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, who is pushing to eliminate local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through 287(g) agreements. The officials argue that these partnerships allow for the safe and effective removal of criminal illegal immigrants from communities.

The backlash comes as Hochul moves to embed sweeping sanctuary policies into New York’s 2027 fiscal budget. The proposal would ban 287(g) agreements, restrict ICE access to schools, hospitals, and churches, and limit informal cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Blakeman, who is also the Republican nominee for governor, said he has been in discussions with sheriffs across the state about filing a lawsuit. “Kathy Hochul can make my day, because as far as I'm concerned, we're enforcing federal law in Nassau County, and a lot of the sheriffs throughout the state feel the same way,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital. “They’re mad as hell.”

The proposal has drawn sharp opposition from law enforcement leaders, particularly in counties with active 287(g) agreements. Under these agreements, local officers can perform certain immigration enforcement functions under ICE supervision, including detaining undocumented individuals arrested for other crimes and handing them over to federal custody.

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, Blakeman’s running mate, said the program has been a critical tool. “The 287(g) program is absolutely amazing,” Hood said. “It makes it so we don’t have to go into people's houses.” Hood noted that his county signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE in July 2024 and that deputies routinely transfer criminal illegal immigrants from the jail to ICE custody within about 40 minutes of booking.

Currently, 14 active 287(g) agreements are in place across nine New York counties. Nassau County signed its own agreement in February 2025 and has since transferred roughly 3,200 undocumented individuals arrested by local police into ICE custody, according to county officials.

Hochul first introduced the measure to ban 287(g) agreements in January, warning that noncompliant jurisdictions “will be taken to court for enforcement.” The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sheriffs argue that the agreements are essential for public safety. Hood pointed to a recent case in Freeport, where undocumented immigrant Elder Lopez Avalos was arrested for setting 10 cars on fire. Because of Nassau County’s cooperation with ICE, federal agents were able to detain him immediately after his court hearing, even though his charges were not bail-eligible and he would otherwise have been released.

“These people are criminals,” Hood said. “They’re getting arrested. They’re coming into our jail, and they’re headed to the center about 40 minutes later after they get in. It’s very safe and very effective.”

The dispute reflects a broader national tension between state-level sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement. Critics of the 287(g) program argue it can lead to racial profiling and undermine trust between immigrant communities and local police. But supporters, like Hood, say the program is narrowly focused on criminal offenders and helps prevent dangerous individuals from re-entering the community.

Hood also criticized the lack of local cooperation during ICE’s recent large-scale operations in Minnesota. “Those local police should have been behind those agents, even if they’re not doing the actual immigration stuff,” he said. “They should have been there and had their backs … that won’t happen under Bruce’s administration.”

With the state budget deadline approaching, the clash over 287(g) agreements is expected to intensify. Blakeman and the sheriffs are weighing whether to seek an injunction if the ban is enacted, setting up a potential legal battle over state versus federal authority in immigration enforcement.