New York has banned formal agreements allowing local police and other authorities to carry out certain civil immigration enforcement duties for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Governor Kathy Hochul said the measure will keep local officers focused on crime in their communities, while the Department of Homeland Security argued it could require a more visible federal enforcement presence and weaken public safety.

The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, signed in May and effective from Tuesday, prohibits state and local bodies from entering or maintaining 287(g) agreements, under which trained local staff act under ICE supervision. The governor’s office said jails may still notify ICE about potentially deportable detainees and transfer people lawfully in custody where permitted; DHS cited five cases it said illustrated risks from non-cooperation. Fifteen county sheriffs are challenging the law in federal court, while a judge has denied a separate Justice Department request to block it temporarily.