New York-based immigration advocates have welcomed a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office for failing to comply with legislation preventing collusion with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act legislation prohibits New York State and local law enforcement agencies and local governments from entering into or maintaining 287(g) agreements with ICE for federal civil immigration enforcement and requires any agreements in place to be terminated by August 25, 2026.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James in their lawsuit claim that Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault has refused to terminate its 287(g) agreement.
James said all law enforcement agencies are expected to uphold New York’s laws and that the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office has been given every opportunity to follow the law, yet has chosen not to.
‘My office is suing to enforce New York’s laws and ensure that local law enforcement agencies remain focused on their most fundamental responsibility: keeping New Yorkers safe,’ she added.
Hochul said compliance with the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act is not optional. Rensselaer County’s failure to act in accordance with the law sends a clear message ‘these elected leaders are not serious about New Yorkers’ safety.
‘Today, we are taking action to ensure the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office performs the duties required of it under state law, because no one in New York State is above the law,’ she added.
President and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), Murad Awawdeh, said he applauds the decision taken by James and Hochul ‘for taking every step necessary to ensure that New York’s law enforcement agencies remain accountable to the communities they serve and focused on keeping all New Yorkers safe, not carrying out ICE and the Trump administration’s deportation agenda.
He told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that every law enforcement agency in New York has a duty to serve and protect every resident, while upholding state and local law.
‘Instead of complying with the new state law, the Sheriff’s Office in Rensselaer County has chosen to defy state law, putting political posturing ahead of its responsibilities and obligations to its community.
‘This lawsuit makes clear that no one is above the law, not even an elected sheriff,’ Aawadeh said.
James said that Thursday’s lawsuit is the first legal action brought by the newly established Office of Immigrant Trust (OIT), which was created to enforce New York laws limiting state and local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement. It is authorised to investigate potential violations and bring civil actions when warranted.
She said that, in June, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a federal lawsuit challenging the legislation and that on August 3, the US District Court for the Northern District of New York denied the federal government’s request to block New York’s ban on 287(g) agreements.