By Hank Russell
Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are reminding local governments and law enforcement agencies to submit their paperwork announcing that they are no longer in an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help detain illegal immigrants in their jurisdictions.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Hochul and James sent letters to 12 local law enforcement agencies ordering them to end their 287(g) agreements with ICE effective August 25 under the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act. Two of the agencies that received letters include the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
In the letter, the state is requiring these agencies to “submit information to our office” by August 14 “regarding the status of your Section 287(g) agreement, including any ongoing activities pursuant to that agreement and steps you have taken to comply with the termination requirement,” LILP also reported.
It was also reported by LILP that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman entered into an agreement with ICE in which the NCPD and the county sheriff’s office would work together with the agency. Blakeman pointed out that, since the agreement with ICE and through the coordination of the Nassau County Police Department and the county Sheriff’s Department, more than 2,000 criminal illegal aliens were arrested. Among the crimes they were arrested for were attempted rape, attempted murder, rape, carjacking, drug dealing and gang activity.
Hochul said that such agreements erode trust between immigrant communities and local institutions, and make residents less likely to report crimes, seek help, or cooperate with law enforcement, LILP previously reported. She pointed out that the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with ICE and ensures that local law enforcement resources are directed toward local public safety priorities, rather than “the federal government’s mass deportation agenda.”
LILP also reported that a state district court allowed Hochul to uphold her statewide ban on local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements with ICE, but denied her motion to have ICE agents remove their masks while in New York.
Hochul and James said that only five have agreed to end their working relationships with ICE, while seven did not. “Local police should be focused on one thing: keeping their communities safe,” they said, adding they have less than one week to “unwind from their agreements.”
“The safety of New Yorkers is our top priority,” Hochul and James said. “That’s why New York passed these laws, why we will enforce them, and why we will continue standing up to federal overreach. Our job is to enforce the law, and that is exactly what we plan on doing.”
Nassau County police and the sheriff’s department had yet to indicate that they would comply with Hochul and James’ order. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office previously told LILP that attorneys for the NCPD and the sheriff’s department would send a response by August 14.
LILP made numerous requests to Blakeman’s office to see if their letter was sent, but did not hear back as of press time. LILP also did not hear back from ICE for comment, despite numerous request for comment.
LILP is currently conducting a poll asking if Nassau County should end its agreement with ICE. As of this writing, 16.13% said they should, 80.64% said they should keep working with ICE and 3.23% said they didn’t know or had no opinion.