Bruce Blakeman linked the Rensselaer County Sheriff federal lawsuit to a foiled Capitol terrorist attack, arguing that cooperation between local and federal law enforcement can stop attacks before they happen. He said the new New York immigration law goes too far by blocking formal partnerships with federal immigration agents.
The law requires municipalities to have ended existing agreements starting Tuesday, putting local police agencies on a deadline while Gov. Kathy Hochul remains in a legal standoff with President Donald Trump over its legality. Most police agencies have indicated they will comply.
Bruce Blakeman and Nassau County
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and a Republican gubernatorial candidate, pointed to his county’s formal partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as a 287(g) agreement. He said, “When local and federal law enforcement work together, terrorists are caught before they can hurt innocent Americans.”
He added, “This foiled plot is a powerful reminder that cooperation saves lives – and a wake-up call to Kathy Hochul that putting up walls between local and federal law enforcement doesn’t make New Yorkers safer; it puts families in danger.” His argument centers on the practical effect of the new law: local agencies that already work with federal agents on immigration matters must now separate those formal arrangements from their other policing work.
Rob Ortt and Senate Democrats
Rob Ortt said the arrest showed why law enforcement at all levels should keep communicating. In his post, he said, “The announcement regarding an ISIS-inspired terrorist plot targeting our state Capitol building is not only disturbing, but reinforces why law enforcement at all levels must communicate and work together for the safety and well-being of New Yorkers.”
The dispute sits inside a broader fight over the new law’s reach. Hochul’s campaign said Donald Trump tried to defund $187 million in New York City Police Department counterterrorism funding, while Senate Democrats have backed the state’s position as municipalities move toward the Tuesday deadline.
The practical question now is how cooperation will work once existing agreements end. The law does not end policing; it ends formal partnerships under 287(g), leaving local agencies to decide how they handle immigration-related contacts without those agreements in place.
