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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday endorsed a proposal that would allow state residents to file civil lawsuits in New York courts against federal immigration agents if the officers are alleged to have violated their constitutional rights.
"This doesn't interfere with lawful enforcement or public safety," the Democrat said. "It simply affirms a core truth: Power does not justify abuse. And if someone's constitutional rights are violated here in the state of New York, I say they deserve their day in court."
Newsweek has contacted Hochul's office for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
Hochul highlighted the proposal in her 2026 State of the State address and as part of a set of immigration measures she is pushing this year.
The plan, backed by lawmakers such as Assemblymember Micah Lasher and state Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, comes at a time when Democratic governors and legislators nationwide are looking for ways to curb what they describe as overly forceful federal immigration tactics under President Donald Trump.
What To Know
Efforts to tighten oversight of immigration officials have gained urgency amid heightened criticism of federal enforcement following the deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.
Similar laws allowing lawsuits against federal officials have already been enacted in states such as California, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Lasher, who is seeking a congressional seat in New York's 12th District, said on X on Wednesday that he was glad Hochul endorsed the proposal.
"Every day, ICE is terrorizing our communities & violating our civil rights," Lasher wrote. "We must be able to hold them accountable."
Hochul's immigration agenda also includes measures to protect sensitive locations—such as schools, hospitals and places of worship—requiring judicial warrants before federal enforcement actions can take place in these areas.
What People Are Saying
Assemblymember Micah Lasher told The Washington Post: "I think it's important both as a concrete matter and as a matter of moral clarity for state governments to do everything they can to push back and protect people from egregious overreaches of ICE under the Trump administration. And by creating increased legal exposure for individual ICE agents, it is the hope that this legislation will be at least something of a deterrent."
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the governor "continues to smear law enforcement who are simply enforcing the rule of law and are putting their lives on the line to remove violent criminals from New York."
She added that there had been an increase in threats against federal law enforcement officers, who had shown "incredible restraint and professionalism in exhausting all options before any kind of non-lethal force is used."
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