Sheriff Rick Engle

STAFF REPORTNorth Country This Week

CANTON — St. Lawrence County Sheriff Rick Engle joined 14 other New York sheriffs in Albany for a press conference regarding a federal lawsuit challenging a state law that bans local law enforcement agencies from working with federal immigration authorities through 287(g) agreements, a statement from the Federation for American Immigration Reform said.

The lawsuit comes months after the St. Lawrence County Legislature approved a 287(g) agreement between the Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, despite strong public opposition.

More than 250 people attended the county's meeting on the agreement, with dozens speaking during more than seven hours of public comment. Legislators ultimately approved the agreement, saying it was a matter of public safety.

Engle said at the time that the agreement was focused on the county jail. He said it would give the Sheriff's Office access to federal databases and other resources and allow the county to more quickly turn people suspected of being in the country illegally over to ICE.

He also said the arrangement could help free space in an already crowded county jail, where state-ready inmates were waiting to be transferred to state prisons.

Not long after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act in May. The law requires local agencies to end 287(g) agreements with ICE.

Now, Engle is challenging the law in federal court.

The case, Bourgault v. Hochul, was filed Aug. 25 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Engle and the other sheriffs are suing Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and the state.

The sheriffs are asking the court to temporarily block the state from enforcing the law while their lawsuit moves forward. They argue the state is interfering with agreements local sheriffs made with the federal government.

The lawsuit also argues that the state law conflicts with federal law and violates the sheriffs' authority as independently elected county officials.

Hochul has defended the law, saying local police should focus on public safety rather than federal immigration enforcement.

“Here in New York, we need local police focused on keeping our communities safe — not serving as de-facto ICE agents,” Hochul said when the law took effect.

The state has opposed the sheriffs' request for a temporary injunction. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is supporting the lawsuit, the state filed its response Sept. 9. The sheriffs were expected to reply Tuesday.

The federal court will then decide whether to hold a hearing or rule on the request based on the filings.

The County Legislature has not taken formal action on the state's ban in recent meetings, although officials have indicated the issue could come back before lawmakers.

For St. Lawrence County, the lawsuit could determine whether the Sheriff's Office can keep the 287(g) agreement approved earlier this year.