Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard is among the recipients of letters directing 12 New York law enforcement agencies to terminate agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The state Attorney General’s new Office of Immigrant Trust sent the letters to agencies with active agreements under Section 287(g) of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act. Those agreements allow trained local officers or employees to perform certain duties normally handled by federal immigration agents.
The letters ask each agency to explain the status of its agreement and the steps being taken to end it by August 14. The agreements must be terminated by August 25.
In addition to the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, letters were sent to:
- Nassau County Police Department
- Mohawk Village Police Department
- Madison County Sheriff’s Office
- Niagara County Sheriff’s Office
- Nassau County Sheriff’s Office
- Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office
- Camden Police Department
- Broome County Sheriff’s Office
- Allegany Village Police Department
- Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office
- Otsego County Sheriff’s Office
New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, signed May 27, prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering into or continuing formal or informal 287(g) agreements.
The law immediately barred agencies from conducting civil immigration enforcement through those arrangements. Existing agreements will become void and unenforceable August 25.
The law also restricts the use of local correctional, juvenile detention and youth facilities to house people detained for federal civil immigration violations.
The Office of Immigrant Trust was created within the Attorney General’s Office to enforce state laws limiting the use of state and local resources for federal civil immigration enforcement. It can investigate complaints, issue subpoenas, review records and pursue civil legal action when warranted.
Anyone who believes a covered agency or institution has violated New York’s civil immigration enforcement laws may contact the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-771-7755.
