RENSSELAER COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Governor Kathy Hochul passed the state budget on Thursday morning, signing the bills into law. One of those pieces of legislation included banning local police departments from entering into formal cooperation agreements with federal immigration authorities. It’s already drawing pushback from some areas of the Capital Region, including Rensselaer County.
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The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act ends 287(g) agreements, which are formal contracts between local police departments and federal immigration agents that allow local officers to identify, detain and arrest people on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“We specifically said that this is related to civil immigration enforcement, not criminal. Not criminals, not people who are committing crimes, not serious offenders,” said Hochul. “We are not a sanctuary for criminals.”
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Rensselaer County has been active in the 287(g) program since 2018. Specifically, the county participates at the Jail Enforcement Model level of the program.
According to the county, “The Jail Enforcement Model allows for individuals already booked into a jail to be screened to see if those individuals are wanted for other crimes or in violation of other statutes.”…