August 28, 2026
FROM STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LETITIA JAMES: New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a lawsuit against the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office for failing to comply with New York’s Local Cops, Local Crimes Act (LCLCA), which requires local law enforcement agencies to dissolve all agreements under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act by August 25, 2026. The law prohibits local governments and law enforcement agencies from entering or remaining in 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These agreements deputize local law enforcement officers to perform federal civil immigration enforcement functions.
“All law enforcement agencies are expected to uphold New York’s laws,” said Attorney General James. “The Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office has been given every opportunity to follow the law, yet has chosen not to. My office is suing to enforce New York’s laws and ensure that local law enforcement agencies remain focused on their most fundamental responsibility: keeping New Yorkers safe.”
“Compliance with the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act is not optional. Rensselaer County’s failure to act in accordance with the law sends a clear message: these elected leaders are not serious about New Yorkers’ safety,” said Governor Hochul. “Today, we are taking action to ensure the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office performs the duties required of it under state law, because no one in New York State is above the law.”
