287(g) agreements banned across New York state. Local police can no longer be deputized as immigration agents.
What the Budget Does
New York’s $268.5 billion FY27 state budget, passed May 26, includes the strongest state-level immigration protections enacted anywhere this year.
- Bans 287(g) agreements. Local law enforcement cannot sign or maintain contracts with ICE that deputize local officers for immigration enforcement.
- Bars jails from renting space to ICE. Local jails cannot hold people on behalf of ICE or contract detention bed space to federal immigration agencies.
- Requires ICE agents to identify themselves. Federal agents cannot wear masks during enforcement operations in New York.
What It Does Not Do
Immigrant advocates pushed for the full New York for All Act, which would have gone further. The budget package stops short of:
- Prohibiting state agencies from sharing information with federal immigration authorities
- Creating a private right of action for individuals targeted by immigration enforcement violations
- Banning ICE from sensitive locations (schools, hospitals, courts)
Legislators say they will use the remaining two weeks of session to push for these additional protections.
Why This Matters
New York has 4.4 million immigrants, more than any state except California. The 287(g) ban prevents the federal government from using local police as a force multiplier for deportation operations. The jail space ban cuts off a key ICE detention pipeline.
This directly counters the administration’s strategy of threatening sanctuary cities with loss of federal services. New York is not backing down. It is codifying protections into law.
What You Can Do
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Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative. Ask them to oppose any legislation that conditions federal funding on local ICE cooperation. New York’s protections are legal. Federal retaliation against states that set their own policing priorities undermines the constitutional relationship between state and federal government.
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If you are a New York resident, contact your state legislators during the remaining session days and push for the full New York for All Act — the protections the budget left out, including banning ICE from schools, hospitals, and courts.
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If you are an immigrant in New York, know your rights under the new law. Local police cannot act as ICE agents, jails cannot hold you for ICE, and federal agents must identify themselves. Contact the New York Immigration Coalition for know-your-rights materials.
Update, June 8, 2026: Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, said on Fox News on June 8 that he has reviewed an operational plan to increase ICE agent deployments across New York City. Homan said he made the threat directly to Governor Kathy Hochul before she signed the legislation.
Hochul signed the bill into law in late May 2026, barring state and local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE in New York jails. The announcement comes as roughly 10 million visitors are expected in the New York region for the FIFA World Cup final, held in New Jersey.
Immigrant rights advocates have issued travel warnings to those visitors, citing risks of detention and deportation under current federal enforcement policy. At least 18 people have died in ICE custody in 2026, according to The Guardian.