Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said Wednesday that the county will comply with the state law ending its 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while continuing to work with ICE within the limits of the law.
Blakeman made the remarks during a news conference Wednesday at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola with Bryan Flanagan, assistant field office director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York City field office; Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder; and Acting Sheriff Robert Matarazzo.
Blakeman called the state law “completely misguided” and said it would make Nassau County less safe.
“This law is written in the blood of the victims, past, present and future,” said Blakeman, who is also the Republican nominee for governor running against Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.
Blakeman said Nassau County’s agreement with ICE had allowed local law enforcement to cooperate with federal authorities in cases involving people accused of crimes. He cited recent cases involving alleged rape, arson, drug and gun offenses as examples of crimes committed by people he described as illegal migrants.
He said the county reviewed the new law with its attorneys and determined it had to comply.
“I am a law and order county executive,” Blakeman said. “I believe in the rule of law, even when it’s a bad law, and this is a very, very bad and dangerous law.”
Blakeman said the Nassau County attorney sent ICE a letter at 4:05 p.m. Tuesday indicating the county would comply with the “technicalities” of the law. He also said the county sent termination notices to ICE.
However, Blakeman said Nassau County will continue working with ICE as it does with other federal agencies.
“We’re going to continue to work with them,” he said. “However, we will adhere to the technicalities of the law.”
When asked whether the Nassau County jail could continue operating under the 287(g) agreement, Blakeman said the agreement no longer exists for that purpose.
He said the county must return to its previous procedures, including not detaining people until ICE arrives and not holding defendants beyond the limits allowed under the new law.
Blakeman said the change will make cooperation with ICE more resource-intensive and potentially more dangerous for officers and communities.
Flanagan said 287(g) partnerships include training, defined authorities and accountability measures and are intended to focus on people who come into contact with law enforcement through criminal arrests or detention.
“New Yorkers deserve a clear understanding of what ended yesterday,” Flanagan said. “This decision has removed a proven public safety tool.”
He said ICE will continue its federal immigration enforcement work despite the end of the agreement.
The New York State Democratic Party criticized Blakeman’s remarks. Party spokesperson Addison Dick accused the county executive of defending the Trump administration’s immigration policies and said he had failed to address allegations of misconduct by ICE.
“Absolutely no one should be surprised that Bruce Blakeman, New York’s most spineless MAGA puppet, is unable to name a single atrocity committed by ICE,” Dick said in a statement.
Dick also accused Blakeman of putting New Yorkers at risk by continuing to support ICE cooperation.
Blakeman said the county will continue doing whatever it is legally allowed to do in cooperation with ICE.
“Whatever we are allowed to do within the confines of the law, we will do,” he said.
