Governor Kathy Hochul has proposed legislation to bar New York state and local police from being deputized by ICE, end agreements that let officers perform ICE duties, and ban state-funded resources from supporting federal civil immigration enforcement. The bill would allow individuals to sue federal officers for constitutional violations and would require judicial warrants for entry into sensitive locations such as homes and schools. The measure has a more favorable path in a Democrat-led state legislature, while the Department of Homeland Security warned it could harm public safety.
Hochul Proposes Law to Bar ICE Deputization of Local Police, Require Warrants for Sensitive Sites
People march across the Brooklyn Bridge for Renee Nicole Good and against U.S. President Donald Trump and ICE, in New York City, U.S., January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday introduced legislation that would prohibit state and local law enforcement from being deputized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
The bill would terminate existing agreements that allow ICE to assign certain enforcement duties to state and local officers while those officers operate under ICE oversight. It would also forbid use of state-funded resources or personnel for federal civil immigration enforcement and prevent local officers from acting as federal agents.
Key provisions include a private right of action enabling individuals to sue federal officers for alleged constitutional violations and a requirement that immigration officers obtain judicial warrants before entering sensitive locations such as private homes, schools and places of worship.
Governor Hochul’s fellow Democrats control the New York State Legislature, giving the proposal a clearer path for consideration and possible passage.
Federal Response and Context
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees federal immigration enforcement, warned the proposal could reduce public safety. "When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with us, that is when we have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities," Department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
The bill was unveiled amid national protests following two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minnesota, a context that has renewed debate over federal immigration tactics and local cooperation.
Hochul’s move mirrors actions by other states that pushed back against aggressive federal immigration enforcement in major cities under the Trump administration. Supporters say the bill protects civil liberties and local control; opponents argue it could hinder information-sharing and public-safety operations.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman.)
Help us improve.
