Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman blasts Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York lawmakers over restrictions on ICE cooperation, arguing the policy will make communities less safe and calling it a "total disgrace." (Credit: WNYW)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faces new legal and political challenges over a law restricting local law enforcement cooperation with ICE after her Republican gubernatorial opponent warned it was "written in the blood" of crime victims.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, whose county borders sanctuary New York City, warned more New Yorkers will be hurt by Hochul’s move, pointing to recent cases of people maimed by illegal immigrants.
"I want to be very clear about this law: This law is written in the blood of the victims, past, present and future," Blakeman said.
"This law is completely misguided and will make our communities less safe," Blakeman said. "We have a governor and a legislature [wherein] every major criminal justice initiative makes it easier for criminals to prey on our communities."
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at a press conference in Manhattan in New York City, Feb. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Blakeman’s warning came as a coalition of 15 sheriffs representing counties from the shore of Lake Champlain to the Massachusetts line filed a lawsuit challenging the ban on 287(g) ICE agreements.
His campaign referred Fox News Digital to his remarks when asked for additional comment.
In a memo outlining the "Local Cops, Local Crimes Act," Hochul argued that "current federal immigration efforts have made communities less safe" and that using local officers and assets for federal civil immigration enforcement draws resources away from local public-safety functions.
A Hochul spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Blakeman’s "understanding of New York’s bail and immigration laws is incorrect," and said the governor’s top priority remains public safety.
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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, left, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. (NDZ/Star Max/GC Images/Getty Images; Alexander MacDougall/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
"The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act does not tie the hands of our police or stop them from apprehending dangerous criminals, and local law enforcement can and will continue to work with federal authorities on criminal investigations and violent crime just as they always have," the spokesperson said, adding that the law doesn't prevent cooperation on "ordinary criminal investigations."
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