A conservative legal group has released a 35-page guide telling New York City police officers that they can contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directly, even if local sanctuary policies say otherwise. The handbook, obtained and reviewed by this news organization, argues that federal law supersedes city directives that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The guide arrives as border czar Tom Homan prepares a significant immigration enforcement surge in New York City, following Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s executive order reinforcing the city’s sanctuary status. Homan has said the operation will bring more ICE agents than the city has ever seen and that the agency will not back down despite opposition from city leaders.
America First Legal, the nonprofit behind the guide, repeatedly cites Section 1373 of federal immigration law, which bars state and local governments from preventing officials from sharing citizenship or immigration-status information with federal authorities. The guide tells officers they may use ICE’s 24-hour Law Enforcement Support Center to verify a person’s status using only a name and date of birth, and that they may do so «regardless of any local directive telling you not to.»
The organization also warns that sanctuary policies could create legal risks for officials who enforce them. America First Legal contends that some officials could face federal criminal charges for obstructing immigration enforcement and that victims of crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants released despite ICE detainers could, in some cases, sue under federal civil RICO law.
Mayor Mamdani’s Executive Order 13 directs the NYPD to review, update and train officers on department policies governing communication and cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The order states that the aggressive tactics used by certain non-local law enforcement agencies in pursuing civil immigration enforcement create a culture of fear that hinders public safety. Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has reaffirmed the city’s commitment to sanctuary policies despite federal pressure.
Homan told reporters last week that a major ICE operation is coming to New York and that there needs to be a surge. While he declined to discuss operational details, he made clear that the Trump administration is determined to step up enforcement in the nation’s largest city, which has long been a flashpoint in the national debate over immigration.
America First Legal is also inviting officers who believe they have been threatened, disciplined or retaliated against for cooperating with ICE to seek confidential legal representation. «Politicians who hide behind sanctuary policies are not above the law, and they have no right to bully or gag the officers who are trying to keep their communities safe,» said James Rogers, senior counsel at the group. Gene Hamilton, the organization’s president, added that officers should never be forced to choose between following federal law and following unlawful directives to appease politicians committed to sanctuary policies.
New York City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the guide. The clash between the city and federal authorities over immigration enforcement continues to escalate, with legal arguments over the limits of sanctuary policies now squarely in the spotlight.
