No Borders NewsNew York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office. They say the office failed to follow New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act (LCLCA), a state law aimed at ending local participation in certain ICE immigration enforcement programs.
The state law bars local law enforcement agencies from entering into or continuing “287(g)” agreements with ICE. These agreements can deputize local officers to carry out federal civil immigration enforcement tasks, which may include questioning, arresting, or detaining people based on suspected violations of federal immigration law.
The LCLCA was signed on May 27, 2026. It required agencies that already had 287(g) agreements to use their termination provisions within 90 days, by August 25, 2026. The announcement says that any covered agreement still in effect on that date is considered void and unenforceable under New York law.
According to the announcement, the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office has had a 287(g) agreement with ICE since March 2020. After the LCLCA took effect, the Attorney General’s Office asked for information about whether the agreement would be terminated, but it did not receive confirmation. The AG then issued a formal investigative demand (a subpoena) on August 19 seeking documents showing what steps were taken.
The lawsuit also responds to public statements from county officials suggesting they intended to defy the law. The announcement says Rensselaer is the only agency among those previously holding 287(g) agreements that had not confirmed termination by the deadline.