All articles tagged with #287g
A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked a central provision of Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s 287(g) immigration-cooperation law, pausing sheriffs’ deadline to modify or end local agreements with ICE after ruling the measure likely violates the Contracts Clause. The DOJ’s lawsuit against Virginia proceeds, and a similar battle is playing out in Maryland over its own ICE-cooperation ban.
New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ends state and local participation in ICE's 287(g) program, and a monthlong operation dubbed Operation Rotten Apple led to about 2,100 arrests across NYC, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and upstate. DHS framed the arrests as enforcing immigration rules, while critics say the crackdown erodes trust and targets people with no criminal records, highlighting a growing federal-state clash over immigration enforcement and legal challenges to the law continue.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman abandoned his bid to challenge New York’s law banning formal 287(g) cooperation with ICE, but said he will still have police cooperate with ICE where possible and will join a sheriffs’ lawsuit challenging the measure. The law bars 287(g) partnerships and prohibits local jails from holding people for ICE. Hochul defends the law as a way to curb aggressive enforcement and let local police focus on local crime, while critics say it compromises safety. Nassau’s East Meadow jail has housed more than 1,000 inmates since Oct. 2025, and a Newsday report found 147 detained immigrants had prior violent-crime convictions; Blakeman argued that some arrests of undocumented individuals could have led to longer pre-trial releases if not handed over to ICE.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the GOP gubernatorial candidate, says he will reluctantly enforce New York’s law banning local police from cooperating with ICE (ending 287(g) agreements) while joining a lawsuit challenging the measure; the policy is part of a broader immigration-enforcement debate as Hochul runs for a second term, with some counties resisting and Trump weighing in on crime politics.
New York’s ban on 287(g) agreements, which barred local police from aiding ICE, takes effect as Gov. Hochul promotes safer communities and trust in policing. While many counties never had these agreements and officials argue the policy enhances public safety, Nassau and Rensselaer counties resist and 15 sheriffs have sued to overturn the ban. Some counties also exited contracts to house ICE detainees, underscoring ongoing tensions between state policy and local enforcement practices, with the attorney general defending the law.
ICE arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, the highest monthly total of Trump’s second term, with 6,500 arrests (about 13%) tied to 287(g) partnerships with state and local police—up from under 5% a year earlier. Texas and Florida together accounted for almost 20,000 arrests, underscoring those states’ central role in the administration’s mass-deportation effort. Data shows that more than half of those arrested had no criminal history and about half were non-custodial. The crackdown’s human cost was illustrated by a Haitian asylum seeker arrested in Key West, amid promises from DHS Secretary Mullin of a quieter approach while maintaining deportation priorities.
A federal judge in Albany blocked New York’s law banning ICE officers from wearing masks and requiring visible IDs, citing constitutional concerns under the Supremacy Clause, while allowing New York’s ban on 287(g) cooperation with ICE to remain in effect; the decision halts enforcement of the mask rule and signals possible appeals, with officials framing it as keeping communities safe and local resources under state control.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James announced that 12 local New York law enforcement agencies must terminate their 287(g) agreements with ICE by August 25, marking the first action from the newly created Office of Immigrant Trust to curb state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission and Lee County Sheriff’s Office are cooperating with ICE under the 287(g) program to stop and detain people suspected of immigration violations, with reported cases including a father and son who were detained and deported after stops outside Fort Myers. The DHS/ICE directive says information from these arrests is controlled by federal authorities, and Florida’s Sunshine Law exemptions complicate public disclosure. The piece notes the nationwide expansion of 287(g)—driven by DHS incentives and funding for participating agencies—and highlights tensions between immigration enforcement and public-records transparency.
White House border czar Tom Homan says an ICE surge to New York City is coming after Gov. Hochul signed legislation ending 287(g) agreements, promising a targeted operation that will differ from Minnesota tactics; Hochul rejects being a sanctuary city and vows to work with federal authorities to target violent offenders.
New Jersey became the 10th state to ban local law enforcement from partnering with federal immigration authorities, codifying the Immigrant Trust Directive into law and prohibiting participation in ICE’s 287(g) program while tightening restrictions on detention, immigration-data sharing, and requiring ICE to show identification; exceptions exist for final removal orders or crimes. The bill aligns with broader Democratic-led immigration protections and faces potential federal legal challenges as courts have previously upheld the directive.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger directed Virginia’s state law enforcement agencies to terminate all 287(g) agreements with ICE, ending their deputization for federal immigration enforcement and signaling a shift toward locally focused policing; the move reverses the previous administration’s approach and drew mixed reactions from lawmakers.
Maryland’s Legislature approved emergency bills to bar local governments and police from partnering with ICE through the 287(g) program, which allows jail staff to check immigration status and detain noncitizens for up to 48 hours. The Senate passed the measure 32-12 and the House 99-40; eight counties already participate, with Wicomico County newly joining. Gov. Wes Moore has criticized ICE, and the 287(g) ban could take effect immediately if signed. A separate Senate measure banning law enforcement from wearing face coverings also passed, but faces potential constitutional challenges and would be a civil offense with a $1,500 fine.
New Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler formally withdraws the county from ICE’s 287(g) immigration-enforcement program, arguing the move is needed to restore trust with immigrant residents and improve public safety; deputies will no longer question immigration status of victims or courthouse observers, the county remains not a sanctuary and could still partner with ICE on dangerous-criminal cases, while LiveScan data sharing and ICE warrants are still honored.