Congresswoman Tenney Hosts Statewide Sheriffs Roundtable to Discuss Hochul’s Ban on Local Cooperation with ICE

Oswego County, N.Y. — Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) todayhosted a roundtable and press conference with six New York sheriffs challenging the state’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to discuss the law’s impact on local law enforcement, public safety, and cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into or remaining in agreements with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. Fifteen New York sheriffs filed a federal lawsuit on August 25 challenging the state’s prohibition, including sheriffs from within and outside New York’s 24th Congressional District. The federal 287(g) program allows ICE, under its direction and oversight, to authorize trained state and local law enforcement officers to perform specified immigration enforcement functions. While Governor Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have sought to restrict cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE through the new law, the sheriffs’ lawsuit challenges New York’s authority to prevent local agencies from participating in the federal program.

“New York’s sheriffs are on the front lines of keeping our communities safe, and Albany should not be standing in the way of their ability to work with federal law enforcement,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Today, I heard directly from sheriffs about what the 287(g) program means for their departments and the communities they serve. Governor Hochul’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act takes this decision away from locally elected law enforcement leaders and prohibits partnerships that help them do their jobs. Our sheriffs deserve the tools, resources, and cooperation necessary to protect New Yorkers, and I will continue standing with them as they fight to preserve their ability to work with federal law enforcement.”

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