Defiance In Blue State: ICE Clash

U.S. flag with ICE emblem — Photo: chrisdorney / Shutterstock

New York’s new anti-ICE law has run into a brick wall of resistance from Sheriff Todd Hood, who says he will keep helping federal agents go after dangerous criminal aliens.

Story Snapshot

New York passed a law forcing local police to end formal cooperation agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by August 25, 2026.
Attorney General Letitia James’ office sent warning letters to 12 agencies, including Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, ordering them to unwind their ICE deals.
Sheriff Hood says he will end the written contract if required, but still plans to work with ICE on criminal aliens and jail transfers.
The clash pits Albany’s “sanctuary-style” rules against sheriffs who say the law makes their communities less safe in the middle of a national illegal immigration crisis.

New York Moves to Cut Local Ties With ICE

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law in May that sharply limits how state and local police can work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The law, called the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, bans formal 287(g) agreements that let local officers act under ICE authority in civil immigration cases. It also blocks local jails from holding people just on civil immigration paperwork from federal agents, unless there is a judicial warrant. Hochul’s office says the goal is to keep local resources focused on local crimes, not federal civil immigration enforcement.

Attorney General Letitia James created a new Office of Immigrant Trust to enforce the law and separate New York police from ICE’s civil operations. Her office sent formal letters to twelve law enforcement agencies across the state, telling them their 287(g) agreements must be terminated by August 25 and cannot be renewed. The letters also demand written reports by mid-August explaining what steps each department is taking to unwind its ICE partnership. James has said that if agencies refuse, the state will seek compliance in civil court.

Sheriff Todd Hood Pushes Back

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood is one of the twelve sheriffs told to end his department’s cooperation with ICE. Reporting shows Hood received a warning that his office has one month to stop taking part in civil immigration enforcement under the new law. Hood has said he will follow the law on paper by ending the formal contract, but will continue practical cooperation with ICE on criminal matters and in his jail. Other sheriffs in Rensselaer and Steuben counties have voiced similar plans to push back or find workarounds to keep supporting ICE.

For many rural sheriffs, the fight is about public safety and local control, not abstract immigration theory. They argue that ICE helps remove repeat offenders, gang members, and drunk drivers who are in the country illegally and putting their residents at risk. Sheriffs say New York’s law ties their hands, blocks common-sense cooperation, and favors ideological politics over victims and families. Some county leaders have openly said they will defy the statute, calling it an overreach by Albany that ignores real crime in their communities.

What the Law Actually Bans

The New York Attorney General’s public guidance says local law enforcement agencies may not “perform or support the functions of a federal civil immigration officer” under any contract or informal arrangement. That includes acting under Section 287(g) of federal immigration law or holding people in local jails for civil immigration purposes without a judge’s warrant. The law also blocks new agreements that use local facilities as civil immigration detention centers and limits sharing certain data with ICE for civil enforcement.

New York Orders Sheriff Todd Hood to Cut Off ICE. He Refuses. | David Manney, PJ Media

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood isn't confused about what New York wants from him. Attorney General Letitia James sent his office a formal warning on July 24, directing it to end its… pic.twitter.com/abrhILqejE

— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) August 2, 2026

At the same time, governors and advocates backing the law say police can still help ICE with criminal enforcement. That means they claim officers remain free to cooperate when someone is wanted for crimes like drug trafficking, violent assaults, or other serious offenses, as long as the focus is criminal, not civil status. Supporters say the law protects “otherwise law-abiding” noncitizens from deportation over paperwork and shields schools, hospitals, and other sensitive places from immigration raids.

A Bigger Fight Over Borders and Local Power

This clash in New York fits a growing national pattern where blue states try to wall off their police from federal immigration efforts. New York’s governor has said the state is joining seven other states that already ban 287(g) agreements, including California and New Jersey. These laws come as President Trump’s administration pushes harder federal action against illegal immigration and against sanctuary-style policies that block cooperation with ICE. The result is a tug-of-war over who controls jail space, data, and manpower.

Sheriff Todd Hood’s stand speaks to many conservatives’ fears that progressive leaders are willing to risk safety to score political points. When New York orders local cops to stop working with ICE, it does not stop criminal aliens from crossing the border or from reoffending. It just forces federal agents to hunt them down without local backup and limits tools that once helped remove dangerous offenders from communities. For readers who care about law, order, and secure borders, this fight in Madison County is a warning sign of how far some states will go to undermine cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.