Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate for New York, speaks during an event at David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York, U.S., August 14, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
(New York, NY) – Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman is promising to end the state’s sanctuary policies if elected, saying he would sign an executive order on his first day in office.
Blakeman, who currently serves as Nassau County Executive, repeated the promise during President Donald Trump’s rally in Syracuse on Friday, October 9. He said he would sign an executive order on January 1, 2027, declaring that New York is no longer a sanctuary state.
Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman speaks as US President Donald Trump looks on as they attend a campaign rally at The Oncenter in Syracuse, New York, US, October 9, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Earlier this year, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which restricts local police departments from entering agreements to enforce federal civil immigration laws. Hochul has defended the measure, saying local officers should focus on fighting crime rather than enforcing federal immigration laws.
Blakeman has made immigration enforcement a major issue in his campaign against Hochul. He also made the promise earlier in the week during an event in Chappaqua alongside Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and the family of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old college student killed in Chicago.