By Vince Gasparini
syracuse.com
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Fifteen county sheriffs across New York state have filed a lawsuit over a state law that bans local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York on Tuesday. Among those suing the state are Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood and Oswego County Sheriff Don Hilton, according to court papers.
| SPECIAL REPORT: Find the hidden gaps in your agency’s logistics readiness
Gov. Kathy Hochul is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, alongside Attorney General Letitia James and the state of New York.
The law, dubbed the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” was signed by Hochul in May. The suit was filed Tuesday, the same day the law took effect.
The law prohibits local authorities from entering into formal or informal cooperation agreements with ICE. It also bans local jails, juvenile detention centers and youth detention facilities from holding people on civil immigration charges.
When the bill was signed, Hochul argued that it was necessary due to what she says is the out-of-control nature of the operations being carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The lawsuit argues that the agreements between ICE and the sheriffs are sanctioned by the U.S. Congress and that no state executive has the authority to tell sheriffs — as elected officials — that they cannot participate in the agreements.
Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley was not among the sheriffs named in the lawsuit. Not long after President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, Shelley told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he would not comply with the president’s requests to have his deputies work with ICE in their immigration enforcement.
“I took an oath to protect people’s constitutional rights,” Shelley said. “Everything this sheriff’s office does is going to be legal. We’re not going to hold anyone illegally.”
The department also has a policy that goes back at least a decade that bars deputies from questioning people about their immigration or citizenship status.
Hood, however, has not been shy in his support of Trump’s immigration crackdown and mass deportation agenda.
In July 2025, he entered the Madison County Sheriff’s Office into a 287(g) agreement, which allows the Madison County jail to detain people otherwise due for release and hand them over to federal agents for civil immigration violations.
His activism on immigration enforcement, along with opposition to bail reform and other criminal justice reform, landed him a spot as the running mate of Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive and Republican nominee for governor.
In July, the Attorney General’s office warned Hood to end his agreement with the federal government. While he agreed to end the 287(g) as required by the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act,” he said he still intends to work with ICE and honor its requests to detain and hand over any undocumented immigrants that come into custody at the county jail.
After the Tuesday lawsuit was filed, Hochul and James released a statement saying that the suit is “nothing but a frivolous waste of taxpayer dollars.”
“The courts have already declined to block this law once, and we are confident they will do so again,” the statement reads. “In the meantime, we expect all law enforcement agencies in New York to uphold state law.”
Here are the sheriffs suing the state:
Broome County: Sheriff Frederick AksharCattaraugus County: Sheriff Eric ButlerCayuga County: Sheriff Brian SchenckDelaware County: Sheriff Craig DuMondFranklin County: Sheriff Jay CookFulton County: Sheriff Richard GiardinoJefferson County: Sheriff Peter BarnettLewis County: Sheriff Michael CarpinelliMadison County: Sheriff Todd HoodOrange County: Sheriff Paul ArtetaOswego County: Sheriff Don HiltonRensselaer County: Sheriff Kyle BourgaultSaratoga County: Sheriff Jeffrey BrownSt. Lawrence County: Sheriff Patrick EngleWayne County: Sheriff Robert Milby
Karen Solomon had been wanted in connection with the death of Worcester Officer Kurt Solomon, a department veteran of more than 30 years
August 24, 2026 05:13 PM
·
The agency snagged a $500,000 prize for “arresting” the popular YouTuber and four other participants in the video, which has more than 40 million views
August 24, 2026 11:02 AM
·
The NOPD Homicide Unit credits community trust, inter-agency collaboration and an overall crime decline among factors that helped it clear cases faster
The Oviedo Police Department installed 3D-printed bait cameras after a wave of vandalism targeted real Flock cameras in the area
August 24, 2026 11:46 AM
·
©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Nominations Accepted Through October 31, 2026; 2027 Induction Ceremony to Take Place June 12 in Lexington, Kentucky