New York State leaders have enacted changes in immigration laws aimed at holding federal agents responsible for their deportation methods. These legislative efforts intend to face resistance from the previous Trump administration’s policies.
Recently approved legislation by New York lawmakers prohibits federal immigration agents from wearing masks, addressing an incident where agents were masked in Lower Manhattan last year.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York introduced these new measures, including a mask ban for federal agents, a week ago. Soon after, the Department of Homeland Security indicated its readiness to oppose the state’s actions.
An internal memo from the department’s general counsel, reviewed by The New York Times, instructs agents that they are not legally bound to adhere to state and local mask bans while executing their duties. This memo, dated May 15, encourages officers to perform their duties without fearing local interference or prosecution.
This stance from Homeland Security signals a lack of cooperation with a growing trend of legislation nationwide aimed at limiting immigration enforcement, following the incidents in Minneapolis where immigration officers were involved in the deaths of two Americans.
New York’s new policies prohibit the use of masks by agents, allow lawsuits against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for constitutional breaches, and restrict searches in sensitive areas such as hospitals and schools without a judicial warrant.
Commenting on Homeland Security’s readiness to ignore the mask ban, Jen Goodman, spokesperson for Governor Hochul, stated, “If you are enforcing the law, you should not be hiding from it. Any ICE agent who comes to New York and violates our laws will be held accountable.”