NY Bans Masked ICE Agents, Limits Local Immigration Cooperation

(Bloomberg) -- New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that bars masked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from operating in the state and restricts federal immigration enforcement at certain sensitive locations like schools and churches. 

The new law, signed Friday, also bans local law enforcement agencies from entering into agreements that allow police officers to be deputized as immigration agents and creates a legal pathway for New Yorkers to sue federal officials they believe have violated their rights during immigration operations. 

The measure escalates a confrontation with the Trump administration which has threatened a surge of agents to the state. 

White House Border Czar Tom Homan has said that New York’s limits on cooperation would force ICE to shift away from jail-based arrests and conduct larger, more visible operations in neighborhoods. 

“We don’t need law enforcement wearing masks,” Hochul said on Friday. “There is no rationale other than to intimidate and threaten people.”

The Department of Homeland Security said it would not comply with the New York restrictions, arguing that local governments cannot dictate how federal immigration agents operate. The agency pointed to recent arrests in the state including several convicted of violent crimes. 

Hochul has sought to draw a distinction between cooperation with federal authorities on serious crimes and participation in broader immigration enforcement.

“New York is not a sanctuary for criminals,” she said. “We will cooperate when dangerous crimes are being committed. But we are not going to be partners in carrying out unlawful actions that deprive our neighbors of their rights.”

The legislation also targets 287(g) agreements, which Hochul said divert local officers from their core responsibilities.

“Don’t be using local cops who need to be focused on local crimes,” she said. “It does not make sense. It does not keep our communities safer.”

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