Federal Judge Denies Request From 15 New York Sheriffs To Pause State Immigration Law

Fifteen New York sheriffs lost a key legal battle on November 5 when a federal judge rejected their request to temporarily pause a state law that limits local cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

The decision came from Judge Mae A. D'Agostino, who ruled that the group of elected officials did not demonstrate the legal standing needed to challenge the legislation under the specific exceptions they cited. The ruling keeps the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act fully in force while the broader lawsuit continues.

The law was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on May 27, 2026, and went into effect on August 25. It prohibits local governments, police departments, and jails from maintaining formal agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, for civil immigration functions. Specifically, it blocks 287(g) agreements that allow local officers to receive training and authorization to perform federal immigration duties.

The sheriffs argued in their August lawsuit that the state law restricted their powers as elected officials and prevented them from establishing agreements authorized under U.S. law. They sought a preliminary injunction to stop the state from enforcing these restrictions until the court could make a final decision.

Judge D'Agostino noted that the plaintiffs failed to identify a specific provision in New York law that granted them the authority to enter into the questioned agreements. She also pointed out that they did not prove they had the legal capacity to challenge the state legislation based on the arguments they presented.

The ruling does not decide if the law is constitutional, nor does it stop ICE from conducting its own operations or making detentions in the state. Local authorities can still collaborate with federal agents on criminal investigations and detain people involved in federal criminal cases. The restrictions only apply to agreements focused exclusively on civil immigration violations.

The Department of Justice has a separate lawsuit pending against New York regarding these immigration cooperation rules. For now, the November 5 order only denies the temporary relief sought by the 15 sheriffs, leaving the state's restrictions intact as the legal fight continues.