[REVISION HISTORY]

New York state and federal immigration enforcement conflict

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-26 14:03 UTC → 2026-08-26 23:43 UTC · added ~~removed~~

New York state officials and federal authorities are engaged in a legal and jurisdictional conflict regarding immigration enforcement. A federal judge recently issued a preliminary injunction blocking a New York law that prohibited Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing masks and required visible identification. The ~~judge ruled that the state’s actions likely violate the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The~~ Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state law, arguing it could subject federal authorities to criminal penalties. Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are enforcing the ‘Local Cops, Local Crimes Act’, which prohibits state and local agencies from assisting in civil immigration enforcement. Under this law, local law enforcement may only cooperate with federal authorities if a genuine criminal offense has been committed. To ensure compliance, the Attorney General has established a new Immigrant Trust Office. On August 25, 2026, the legislation officially went into effect, strictly limiting cooperation and prohibiting the maintenance of 287(g) agreements. The law specifically restricts federal access to sensitive locations such as schools and churches. While Governor Hochul emphasized that local police should focus on community safety rather than federal immigration quotas, the transition has faced significant friction. Of the 13 counties with existing agreements, 11 have terminated them, but jurisdictions including Nassau and Rensselaer counties have vowed to resist. Several county sheriffs have filed lawsuits to challenge the state’s ~~authority to restrict these partnerships,~~ authority, and the Attorney General’s office has issued subpoenas to ~~counties, such as Nassau,~~ counties that have not confirmed compliance. This enforcement follows reports from the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) and LatinoJustice PRLDEF alleging that New York police used Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader network to assist ICE, sometimes targeting individuals not suspected of any crime.

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