An investigation by New York Focus found that Operation Stonegarden, a federal grant program New York has participated in since 2009, pays county sheriff's deputies to assist Border Patrol with immigration enforcement during dedicated patrols focused on traffic stops, marine patrols, and drug interdiction. Sheriff's offices have reported turning over at least 24 immigrants to Border Patrol since 2023, despite a state law banning formal ICE partnerships, and most counties denied public records requests seeking details on the program. This year, Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Franklin, and Clinton counties, along with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, received a combined $1.23 million through the program, which Governor Kathy Hochul supports even as some Republican sheriffs sue to block a separate new state law barring 287(g) agreements with ICE.