A political liability could be turning into an advantage in New York as Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul moves to limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), blunting a familiar Republican line of attack and giving Democrats a clearer message on immigration. The shift follows Hochul’s Jan. 30, 2026, proposal to end 287(g) agreements and bar local law enforcement from carrying out federal civil immigration enforcement has become both a policy fight and a campaign issue.