More Than A Dozen Sheriff’s Offices Sue Governor Over Law Prohibiting Them From Cooperating With ICE

Fifteen New York sheriffs are hauling their own governor into federal court to keep working with immigration agents.

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The sheriffs sued Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday over the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, according to CBS News New York. The statute took effect the same day the complaint landed. It bars local agencies from partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The case was filed as Bourgault v. Hochul in the Northern District of New York, with Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault as lead plaintiff, according to Bloomberg Law. The sheriffs are asking for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. (RELATED: Former Democratic Governor Blasts Kathy Hochul Over Anti-ICE Sanctuary Laws)

A second statute signed in May handed James the power to investigate sheriffs who cooperate with federal agents, according to Bloomberg Law. Both measures cleared the legislature inside a budget package.

The law targets so-called 287(g) agreements that let local officers assist with civil immigration enforcement, according to Bloomberg Law. Counties holding those pacts had until Tuesday to end them. The statute still allows police to work with ICE on criminal matters, according to CBS News New York.

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Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar called the law an “aggressive and gross overreach” by state officials, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. He argued the measure violates the Tenth Amendment and strips authority the state constitution grants to the office of sheriff, according to WBNG. The complaint says the statutes “nullify the ability of independently elected constitutional officers to enter into contracts authorized by federal law,” according to Bloomberg Law. The Federation for American Immigration Reform represents the sheriffs.

Hochul refused to back down. “And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, bring it on,” the governor said, according to Fox News. Hochul and James branded the lawsuit a “frivolous waste of taxpayer dollars” in a joint statement, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin. James had already issued subpoenas to several offices, according to CBS News New York.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor, plans to join the suit, according to CBS News New York. “This law is written in the blood of the victims past, present and future,” Blakeman said. Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin accused Hochul of waging a “war on the police,” according to Fox News.

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