NY sheriffs sue over Hochuls anti-ICE law as it takes effect, but she says: Bring it on

ALBANY – Don’t sue me, I’ll sue you.More than a dozen New York sheriffs filed suit over an anti-ICE sanctuary state law that took effect Tuesday — as Gov.Kathy Hochul demanded local governments stop cooperating with the feds or face their own legal troubles.Hochul herself vowed to sue localities such as Nassau County — where her Republican gubernatorial rival Bruce Blakeman serves as executive — that refuse to end cooperation agreements with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.But the federal lawsuit led by Rensselaer County Sheriff Kyle Bourgault contends the law, signed by Hochul in May, is unconstitutional and wrongly impedes local officials, notably sheriffs, from making public safety decisions.“Today, Kathy Hochul escalated her administration’s war on the police and she expanded polices to put criminals before the citizens of New York,” said Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin.The governor held a press conference in Albany earlier Tuesday to tout the start of the “Local Cops, Local Crimes Act” — arguing it’ll keep New York police agencies focused on criminal cases, rather than helping the feds’ work of civil immigration enforcement.“Any police department or sheriff’s office that disobeys this law, that maintains any agreement with ICE, will face legal action,” Hochul declared from a podium in her ceremonial office in the state capitol.“And to those suing us, those trying to block the implementation of this law who’ve tried before and failed, our law has already been upheld by the courts, but if you try me again, I say, ‘Bring it on.'”Blakeman, during his own news conference, which took place at the same time as Hochul’s but in Delaware County, declined to say whether he would comply with the new mandate.

He later told The Post he’d “probably” join the sheriffs’ lawsuit.His running mate for lieutenant governor, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, is among the 15 plaintiffs on the case, which names H...