New York Notifies Counties: Contracts to House Civil Immigration Detainees Must End by November 25
New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul announced on November 6 that the Attorney General's office has formally notified counties across the state of their obligation to end agreements to house federal civil immigration detainees by November 25.
The obligation stems from the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, signed by Governor Hochul on May 27 this year. The law bars local law enforcement agencies from entering into contracts to hold civil immigration detainees for federal authorities and requires existing agreements to be terminated by the deadline; agreements that remain in place after the deadline will be void under the law.
The two state officials said the law draws a clear line: New York's local police resources should be used to fight local crime, not to carry out federal civil immigration detention. The state clarified that the law addresses civil immigration detention arrangements and does not affect ordinary criminal justice processes - people held pending criminal trial and detention required by court order are not covered by the termination requirement.
Counties are to complete the terminations and confirm them to the state by November 25. Several New York counties previously held bed-space agreements with federal immigration enforcement agencies; the notice means those agreements will now expire on a single statewide schedule. (Source: New York State Attorney General)
Source: New York State Attorney General
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons「New York State Capitol building, full.jpg」（Shaunfrombrooklyn 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0） Image: Wikimedia Commons "New York State Capitol building, full.jpg" (by Shaunfrombrooklyn, CC BY-SA 4.0)
