"As the legal guidance issued by my office in January makes clear, state and local law enforcement agencies cannot be forced to participate in President [Donald] Trump’s destructive and ill-advised deportation policies," Schneiderman stated on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the US Department of Homeland Security released two memorandums stating the US government will start the expedited deportation of immigrants captured at US borders.
The memos also called for the immediate reinstatement of the Secure Communities information-sharing program which uses state and local police to help federal authorities identify and deport immigrants with criminal records.
Schneiderman argued the memorandums fundamentally damages the established trust between law enforcement agencies and immigrant communities, undermining national security as well as public safety.