An upstate New York sheriff has publicly criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's administration over new state laws designating New York as a sanctuary state, specifically pushing back against efforts to compel counties to end cooperation agreements with federal immigration authorities.
Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler, a Republican, stated that the state government in Albany dictates policies without fully understanding local conditions or the needs of residents. "Governor Hochul does not know Cattaraugus County better than I do," Butler said. "She does not patrol our roads. She does not operate our jail. She does not answer the calls of our residents when they need help, and she does not stand beside the men and women of this Sheriff’s Office who do that work every single day."
Butler's remarks were a direct response to a spokesperson for Hochul, who stated that counties "do not get to pick and choose which state laws they follow" and suggested that those who disagree are "not interested in keeping New York communities safe."
"Albany continually dictates to local governments how we must operate, what programs we must provide, how we must police our communities—and then expects our local taxpayers to pick up the bill," Butler added. He asserted that the notion that cooperation with federal immigration authorities indicates a lack of interest in community safety is "offensive."
Cattaraugus County is among approximately a dozen municipalities in New York that have 287(g) agreements. These agreements allow local jails to detain individuals for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Governor Hochul has been advocating for the termination of these agreements as part of the state's new sanctuary laws, passed during the recent legislative session.
Hochul has stated her position that local jails should primarily serve local law enforcement purposes and not function as ICE detention centers. "We don’t want our jails being used for any purpose other than local law enforcement purposes. It’s not their job to be ICE detention centers either. That’s not what the taxpayers are paying for when they pay for local law enforcement," she said last month.
Recently, a federal judge declined to block a portion of the lawsuit filed by the Trump administration seeking to halt Hochul's ban on 287(g) agreements. However, the same ruling struck down a provision of the sanctuary law that prohibited federal agents from wearing masks.
Sheriff Butler pledged to continue speaking out, stating, "Albany should be accountable for the consequences of the laws it passes, the mandates it imposes, the financial burdens it places on local taxpayers, and the public-safety policies it forces upon communities hundreds of miles away."