The Peru Gazette

Governor Hochul news release, not an objective news story – August 25, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the statewide ban on 287(g) agreements in the Local Cops, Local Crime Act, signed into law in May as part of a comprehensive package of immigration protections, has taken effect. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ensures that local law enforcement agencies remain focused on keeping New York communities safe, rather than being used for federal civil immigration enforcement, diverting critical resources to do the job of ICE.

“Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe—not serving as de-facto ICE agents, not conducting civil immigration enforcement, and not carrying out the Trump Administration’s callous immigration agenda,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I championed our new law banning 287(g) agreements and ensuring local cops remain focused on real crime in our communities. Starting today, ICE can no longer commandeer locally-funded police to aid an out-of-control federal agency with an $85 billion budget.”

Attorney General Letitia James said, “We expect all law enforcement agencies in New York to uphold New York’s laws. Through the Office of Immigrant Trust, my office will continue to work with law enforcement professionals across the state to ensure they understand their obligations, and we are prepared to enforce the law if those responsibilities are not upheld. True public safety requires public trust, and we are committed to ensuring all New Yorkers are kept safe.”

Prior to 2025, only one of New York’s 62 counties had a 287(g) agreement with ICE. To date, 53 counties in New York have never entered into a 287(g) agreement. Of those 53 counties, seven are among the 25 safest communities in America, demonstrating that 287(g) agreements are non-essential to improving safety in New York.

Section 287(g) agreements allow local officers or employees to engage in or assist with federal civil immigration enforcement or otherwise perform the functions of federal immigration officers, eroding trust between immigrant communities and local institutions, and making residents less likely to report crimes, seek help, or cooperate with law enforcement. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into 287(g) agreements or similar arrangements that use local resources to detain people for federal immigration violations.

Last month, Attorney General Letitia James sent letters to the 12 local law enforcement agencies in New York that had 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), informing them that state law requires they unwind the agreements by August 25, 2026. Through the Office of Immigrant Trust (OIT), Attorney General James will ensure that municipalities comply with New York law and that state and local institutions remain focused on protecting and serving New Yorkers.

Following an unprecedented escalation in aggressive federal immigration enforcement, Governor Hochul has been fighting to protect New Yorkers from federal actions that indiscriminately target immigrant communities. Earlier this year, Governor Hochul signed one of the most comprehensive laws in the nation to rein in ICE and prevent federal overreach by:

• Prohibiting local governments, state and local police, and state and local corrections from entering into 287(g) Agreements or similar agreements with the federal government that allow for state and local law enforcement personnel and facilities to be used for civil immigration enforcement purposes;
• Prohibiting state, local, and federal officers from wearing face covering while interacting with the public;
• Establishing a state law under which New Yorkers can bring a lawsuit against federal, state and local government officials for a violation of their constitutional rights;
• Safeguarding interactions with public employees;
• Keeping immigration authorities out of sensitive locations; and
• Ensuring immigrant students can access education, codifying the right to a free public education regardless of immigration status.

In June, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal district court seeking to block certain provisions of the Governor’s immigration protection laws, including the 287(g) prohibition in the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act. A federal court denied the DOJ’s motion for a preliminary injunction for the 287(g) provision of the law permitting the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ban on 287(g) agreements to take effect today.

New Yorkers who witness federal enforcement actions anywhere in the state should report them to OAG through the federal action portal. New Yorkers who believe that a state or local agency, employee, contractor, school, or other covered entity has violated state laws related to civil immigration enforcement are encouraged to contact the OAG hotline at 1-800-771-7755.

State Senator Robert Jackson said, “Every generation is remembered by the fears it surrenders to or the freedoms it chooses to defend. With the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act now in effect, New York affirms that local law enforcement exists to protect our communities—not to serve as an arm of federal civil immigration enforcement. When government respects constitutional boundaries, it strengthens public trust, reinforces the rule of law, and makes every neighborhood safer. Today, New York chooses trust over fear, because public safety and human dignity are not rivals. They rise or fall together.”

State Senator James Skoufis said, “The safety of our communities is a priority for us all. It’s vital local departments can utilize their valuable time and resources focused on that goal, rather than on federal, non-criminal responsibilities. Trust between law enforcement and communities they serve is often the best tool officers have in the work of ensuring public safety.”

State Senator Julia Salazar said, “There are several local jails in our state that shamefully jail New Yorkers for ICE, directly supporting the federal administration’s efforts to violently round up our neighbors, separate families from their communities, and ship people off, often with little to no due process. With Local Cops, Local Crimes going into effect, New York’s involvement with immigration detention will finally come to an end.”

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “This federal administration is tearing families apart and spreading fear in communities across our state. New Yorkers should be able to trust that their local public safety officers are focused on protecting their neighborhoods, not carrying out a cruel and reckless immigration agenda. Governor Hochul and Attorney General James are making it clear that New York will not allow local resources to be used for federal overreach. I thank them for setting the standard in protecting our communities and standing up for the rights and dignity of all New Yorkers.”

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “ICE is a rogue federal agency that must be abolished. Under the Trump administration, it has been weaponized to suppress free speech and kidnap our neighbors. Local police should not be complicit in ICE’s crimes, or so-called enforcement responses. Instead of punishing those who come to our country seeking opportunity, we must abolish ICE and create real systems of transformative justice that provide a path to citizenship for immigrants. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and Attorney General James for their leadership in the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act.”

State Senator Patricia Fahy said, “The tide of public opinion is turning against the Trump Administration, with more than 60 percent of Americans and New Yorkers now considering ICE’s actions excessive and having crossed a line. As ICE and the Trump administration continue their reign of terror in our communities across the Capital Region and our state, deputizing local law enforcement to act as immigration enforcement agents can undermine public trust. Public safety begins with public trust, which is why I’m glad to see the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act take effect so that local law enforcement can continue their important work in keeping our communities and neighbors safe. I want to thank Governor Hochul and Attorney General James for their continued leadership in protecting public trust in local law enforcement and the Constitutional rights afforded to every New Yorker on American soil.”

Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, RPh said, “Our local law enforcement agencies have an important job to do, investigating crimes, protecting victims, and keeping our neighborhoods safe, and they should have the resources and ability to focus on that mission. Our hard-working police officers are already tasked with a variety of responsibilities, and maintaining positive relationships and trust in our communities is essential to their work. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act makes clear that our local police officers must be permitted to focus on their main objective to maintain public safety. I thank Governor Hochul and Attorney General James for their leadership in ensuring that local law enforcement remains focused on local crimes while continuing to cooperate with federal partners as needed to fulfill the goal of public safety.”

Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said, “New York has made clear that our state law enforcement agencies will not be used as an arm of a cruel federal deportation machine. I represent some of the most diverse communities in our state, and I have seen firsthand the fear that federal immigration enforcement has created for immigrant families in Queens. For too long, immigrant communities have lived with the fear that their local police could be used for federal civil immigration enforcement, eroding trust, and making people afraid to seek help when they need it. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act makes clear that our local law enforcement must focus on keeping New Yorkers safe, not acting as an extension of ICE. I am proud that this law is now taking effect on August 25 and that New York is standing up to federal overreach and refusing to let our local police be weaponized against immigrant families. This is a victory for immigrant communities and for public safety, because everyone deserves to live in a community where they can trust the institutions that are supposed to protect them.”

Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia said, “The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act draws a clear line between local law enforcement and federal civil immigration enforcement, so our officers can focus on keeping neighborhoods safe instead of doing the federal government’s job for it. The Trump administration has made it clear it wants to terrorize immigrant families, and New York will not let that happen. When residents trust that reporting a crime will not put them or their families at risk, our whole community is safer.”

Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero said, “True public safety means making sure our local law enforcement agencies have the resources and capacity to focus on the needs of the communities they serve, not diverting those already-stretched-thin resources toward the federal government’s mass deportation agenda. We have a responsibility to protect our communities and take action when ICE encroaches on the rights of New Yorkers. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s leadership and I’m proud of these new protections that ensure New Yorkers’ rights are upheld, including a pathway to hold government officials accountable in court when their constitutional rights are violated. We cannot stand by while federal overreach undermines trust in our communities, we have to protect New Yorkers and make sure every level of government is accountable to them.”

Assemblymember Noah Burroughs said, “Representing Long Island means standing up for the safety, priorities, and trust of the communities I serve. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act puts that principle into action by keeping our local police focused on local crimes — not deputizing them to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement. Banning 287(g) agreements ensures that our local law-enforcement resources remain where they belong: protecting our neighborhoods, responding to crime, and building trust with the residents they serve. For the 18th Assembly District, this is about putting public safety first while making sure every community can work with and rely on its local police.”

City of Kingston Police Chief Egidio Tinti said, “Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul for making sure local law enforcement can stay focused on the communities we serve. Here in Kingston, that means using our officers and resources to prevent crime, respond to emergencies, and build the trust and relationships that are essential to keeping our community safe.”

Tuckahoe Police Chief Larry Rotta said, “As a small, densely populated village, Tuckahoe relies on strong relationships between our officers and the community we serve. Community policing is central to our approach, and maintaining the public’s trust is essential to keeping our residents safe. I thank Governor Hochul for championing the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which ensures that our officers can remain focused on addressing local crime, responding to residents’ needs and protecting everyone who calls Tuckahoe home.”

Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, “Local law enforcement keeps our communities safe by staying focused on local crimes and the public safety priorities right in front of us—not by taking on the federal government’s civil immigration agenda. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act helps to ensure that our officers’ time and resources are directed where they’re needed most, and strengthens trust between our residents and the agencies that serve them. I want to thank Governor Hochul and our partners in state government for taking decisive action to support effective, community‑focused policing that is rooted in community safety and free from federal overreach.”

City of Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said, “As a Sanctuary City, Rochester has prohibited the use of City resources to enforce federal civil immigration statutes for nearly four decades. These assurances help us build trust and improve public safety by allowing members of our immigrant community to report crimes and access critical services without fear. I applaud Gov. Kathy Hochul for enacting the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which will extend these protections across the entire state and improve public safety for all New Yorkers.”