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New York bars ICE from wearing masks in immigration deal

newsMay 7, 2026543

New York's new statewide immigration agreement bars U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty, with an exception for documented safety needs. The deal also prohibits formal cooperation between state and local officials and ICE, limiting arrests, data-sharing, or other assistance for federal immigration enforcement. Former acting ICE director Tom Homan vowed to 'flood' New York with agents, and Governor Kathy Hochul responded, 'I don't take well to threats.' The change reshapes how federal immigration tactics operate inside New York, protects immigrant access to local services, and heightens state-federal tensions over immigration policy.

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