Hochul Declares New York Will Hold Rogue ICE Agents Accountable

January is often the time of year when we hear from politicians and other people in government offices about their plans for the new year. That exact thing happened in Albany, New York, on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, when Governor Kathy Hochul gave her fifth State of the State Address inside the Hart Theatre at The Egg in the Great Empire State Plaza.

During the Governor's nearly 1-hour speech, she ran through several initiatives that she has planned for 2026, along with things that New Yorkers can expect as we progress throughout the year.

One of the key things that Hochul made sure to highlight is how local and state-based law enforcement should deal with agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE for short.

READ MORE: Governor Hochul Ends New York’s State of the State Address With Bills' Shout Song

ICE Agents have been making news all over the nation over the last few months as the Department of Homeland Security has significantly increased actions and raids to remove those who have been deemed to be in the country illegally. However, over that same time period, there has been a lot of criticism laid on the Federal Government for how they have gone about this enforcement, and how legal residents and the nation's citizens have been treated by agents.

Many people have compared the actions of ICE to those of a foreign authoritarian government, and that is rubbing a lot of folks the wrong way. Including quite a large chunk of people in New York.

We will not allow masked federal ICE agents to storm into our schools, daycares, hospitals, and houses of worship for civil immigration raids unless they have a judicial warrant, meaning signed by a judge. And when boundaries are crossed, accountability matters. No one from the president on down is above the law. Let me repeat: No one. That’s why I will move to allow New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court when they act outside the scope of their duties.
-Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State

Going forward, ICE Agents will not be allowed access to the resources of New York State, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers will not be allowed into schools, daycares, hospitals, and religious facilities unless they get a warrant signed by a judge.

This new stance will get reactions from people all over the Empire State, both positive and negative. Only time will tell where the state and the nation will go.