TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A new state law has put local enforcement at odds with Governor Kathy Hochul. The Local Cops Local Crimes law requires all counties to end their 287(g) partnerships with ICE. NEWS10’s Amber Fisher spoke with county officials at the Rensselaer County Jail, who said that Rensselaer County will not comply with the new state law.
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Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin and Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault spoke about maintaining the county’s 287(g) partnership with ICE, which began in 2018.
“It’s common sense. And I think the sheriff and I are in 100% agreement. We’re not stopping. We don’t really care what this legislature did, we are not going to let them endanger our citizens. So it’s going to continue. And as I said early on, I dare you to confront me on this, governor. We’re not stopping.” said McLaughlin.
The 287(g) program has four tiers. Rensselaer County officials said that the county operates under the lowest tier: the Jail Enforcement Model. This means that ICE checks are only ran on people already booked into the county jail, not anyone out on the street.
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“That’s common sense law enforcement to me, to make sure that somebody that comes into our facility that is wanted by ICE for a crime committed in the United States or another country, doesn’t go back out onto the streets of our community,” said Bourgault…