Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a shift in her position on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last Friday. 

She introduced a bill that would prohibit what are known as 287(g) agreements. These are signed deals between local law enforcement agencies and ICE that permit sheriffs’ offices and other agencies to hold detainees for ICE, serve warrants and generally allow local and state resources to be used in non-criminal federal immigration raids. 

The governor was clear that ICE would continue to be allowed to utilize local law enforcement when dealing with criminal activity.

While this moves Hochul to the left on immigration, it still doesn’t go as far as some lawmakers want, including Brooklyn Democratic state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, chair of the Committee on Budget and Revenue.

Gounardes is the sponsor of the “New York for All” Act, which he and many Democrats in the state Legislature have argued is the strongest way to guarantee the safety of immigrants.

“We’re very glad to see the governor take this stand to move to prohibit 287(g) agreements which is one of the ways ICE tries to leverage cooperation from local and state government agencies, particularly law enforcement to do their work,” Gounardes said. 

But, he went on to say, the “safer and saner way to regular the totality of actions between federal immigration enforcement and local governments” is to pass his bill.

“We actually don’t think it’s the position that’s pro public safety,” he said of 287(g) agreements. “What we hear time and time again… when immigrants are afraid of their local police departments because they fear that if they report a crime, if they come forward with information, if they call 911 for help, if they believe that any of those interactions are going to lead to them potentially being deported, they’re going to stay hidden in the shadows.”

In response to a request for comment, a spokesman for Gov. Hochul sent the following statement:

“Governor Hochul has been clear: You don’t make New York State safer by targeting families, children and hardworking New Yorkers. This administration is committed to working with federal law enforcement to crack down on gang members and violent criminals, but we cannot support attacks on New York communities.”