NY Sheriff Defies Kathy Hochul’s New Law That Seeks to Block Law Enforcement from Working with ICE

Far from New York City in the rural reaches of New York state, where cows outnumber Democrats, a lawman is taking a stand against political meddling in protecting his people.

Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood said a state edict signed into law by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, which bans formal or informal agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is just posturing that will not get in his way, according to WSYR-TV.

“I’m still going to contact ICE when we have somebody come in here that’s illegal and committed a crime. They are going to come get them, and we’re going to hand them off, and they are going to go with them and get the issue that they have with ICE taken care of,” he said.

Hood said nothing changes for his agency even after the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act takes effect next month.

Madison County NY Sheriff Todd Hood pledged to CONTINUE working with ICE despite receiving a warning letter from the NY AG’s office demanding he stop. Good on this sheriff for keeping citizens safe from foreign criminals despite Democrats’ best efforts to protect ILLEGAL ALIENS! pic.twitter.com/JePTeicwDx

— TRUMPonwd2v (@Wpioli2) July 30, 2026

“A rape in the first degree. Imagine something like that happening to one of your family members. You would want the police working together, and there’s the divide where they aren’t allowing that to happen in New York State,” he said, noting that he has honored seven detainers from ICE since September in cases that involved rape, robbery, DWI, and weapons offenses.

Hood said he is not on a crusade to arrest illegal immigrants, only to arrest criminals.

“These are people that are in here committing crimes. They are not the ones that are in here working. We have a ton of farmland in Madison County, and we have a lot of people that are in here that are illegal, that are working and doing jobs and staying out of trouble. The ones that get into trouble, they come here,” he said.

Hood downplayed the complaints from the New York State Attorney General’s office over his past collaborations with ICE.

“They are doing this as a political stunt because it really doesn’t change the way we’re operating,” said Hood.

He summarized the warning as “a big splash before the election,” according to Syracuse.com. Hochul is facing a reelection challenge from Republican Bruce Blakeman.

“I’m still going to work with ICE. They can’t prevent us from working with them.”

“When somebody comes into my jail with a criminal charge, and they’re an illegal, they’ll still get notified,” Hood said of ICE. “They’re still going to come pick them up. The only thing is I can’t have a contract with them.”

The state law is being challenged by the Trump administration.

In the meantime, Hood said common sense will prevail over politics.

“The majority of people that we deal with are coming into my jail on a criminal charge,” he said.

“I don’t have to go into people’s houses. I don’t have to go into their place of business or worship. They come to me. They’ve already done something wrong. They don’t belong in our country. And now they’re committing a crime. So, it’s time to go,” he said.

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