New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposes a bill to stop local police from acting as federal ICE agents, allowing lawsuits for constitutional violations.
NEW YORK: Governor Kathy Hochul introduced a bill on Friday to ban local law enforcement from being deputised by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The legislation aims to end agreements that allow state and local police to perform certain ICE functions under federal oversight.
It would also prevent police from acting as federal agents or using state resources for federal civil immigration enforcement.
READ MORE: Migrant deaths in ICE detention hit 20-year high under Trump
The proposed law would enable individuals to sue federal officers for constitutional violations.
It would additionally require immigration officers to obtain judicial warrants to enter sensitive locations like homes and schools.
The bill was unveiled amid national protests following fatal shootings of US citizens by federal agents in Minnesota.
Hochul’s fellow Democrats, who control the state legislature, will consider the proposal.
The US Department of Homeland Security criticised the move, saying it would make New Yorkers “less safe”.
“When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with us, that is when we have to have a more visible presence,” department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin argued the policy would force ICE to have a more visible presence to apprehend criminals released from jails.
The move follows similar state-level actions in response to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown in major cities. – Reuters
