Blakeman Maintains ICE Agreement Amidst Hochul's Sanctuary Law, Setting Up Legal Showdown
Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive and Republican candidate for governor, has decided to uphold Nassau County's cooperation agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), despite new sanctuary state laws signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. These laws, passed by Democratic lawmakers, are among the most comprehensive anti-ICE policies in the United States, restricting local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities without a judicial order. Hochul's legislative package initiates a 90-day period for Blakeman to terminate the county's partnership with ICE, which provides the agency with space in the county jail. Blakeman criticized the new laws as detrimental to public safety, arguing that they remove a critical tool for law enforcement to address criminal activities by undocumented immigrants. He has expressed intentions to challenge the law in court, with support from other sheriffs across the state.