With the 2025 New York State Fair approaching, leading immigration advocates are hailing its policy preventing federal immigration officials from engaging in civil enforcement activity on the fairgrounds without a judicial warrant.  

Murad Awawdeh, chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition, said this policy sends a message that everyone is welcome at the New York State Fair.  

“What we’re seeing right now is the state fair actually take a positive, proactive step in telling all New Yorkers including immigrant New Yorkers, we don’t want to have people’s day at the State Fair being abruptly made into one of panic and chaos and fear. We want people to be able to enjoy themselves, and we’re making this policy public because we value all New Yorkers,” Awawdeh said.

Jola Szubielski, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees the fair, said the policy is not new.  

“The Fair’s policy on immigration enforcement activity was posted in 2019, outlining federal authorities’ access to Fair facilities. The State Fair aims to ensure all New Yorkers feel welcome and safe on the grounds,” Szubieklski said in a statement.

The policy on the State Fair’s website reads:  

“Federal immigration authorities must identify themselves at the State Fair Administration Building, provide identification and produce a judicial warrant prior to executing a civil arrest or conducting any related civil enforcement activity.

Federal immigration authorities observed engaging in civil immigration enforcement activities on the Fairgrounds who have not: (1) identified themselves to a designated State official at the State Fair Administration Building; (2) provided notice of their intent to engage in civil enforcement activities; and (3) presented a judicial warrant authorizing them to conduct such activities, will be requested to immediately cease the activity, provide identification, and produce a judicial warrant. Any individual presenting as a federal immigration authority and engaging in civil immigration enforcement activities on the Fairgrounds who refuses or is unable to comply with the identification, notice, and/or warrant presentation requirements, will be deemed a trespasser and the New York State Police will be notified.” 

While the New York State Fairgrounds are open to the public, Awawdeh said it is operated by the state, meaning they make the rules.  

“The rules of the state need to be respected and ensuring that the organizers and the agency that’s helping put it together, they put the guidelines in place and their guidelines are clear: They don’t want ICE operating at the State Fair warrantlessly, which is what they’re trying to do,” he said.  

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment. Despite the policy being in place, Awawdeh said it’s important for people to know their rights.  

“I think that people have to take safety precautions regardless of where they’re going or what they’re doing,” he said. “Make sure that they understand that they have the right to remain silent, that they have the right to ask for an attorney and many other rights. They should just become very familiar with it in this moment — especially because of the heightened world that we’re living in.”  

The heart of the New York State Fair has always been agriculture, which Awawdeh said immigrants play a large role in for the state.  

“Immigrants continue to contribute to all industries but especially our agricultural industry, with helping ensure that farms remain alive, from planting and harvesting to maintaining to make sure that it’s not just getting picked but also getting distributed and then being packed into businesses across the state. There is no agricultural industry in New York without immigrants. They’re one in the same,” he said.  

New York State Police typically play a role in public safety at the State Fair and according to the state Attorney General’s website, under New York state law, law enforcement agencies including the State Police, are not allowed to detain people by request of federal immigration authorities without a judicial warrant.

“It’s really critically important that [the state police] continue to know what their role is, which is maintaining public safety for all New Yorkers, and that their role is not actually to engage in immigration enforcement because that’s not their job,” Awawdeh said.  

The New York State Police, through a spokesperson, said no trespassing complaint involving federal immigration officials has ever been received.

"If we receive a trespassing complaint, whether it's on the fairgrounds or elsewhere in New York State, we will investigate and seek a resolution," said NYSP Executive Director of Public Information Beau Duffy.

Even with the policy in place, Awawdeh said the door is still open for immigration enforcement to occur. He points to the family that was detained in Sackets Harbor without a warrant.  

“They were looking for someone else who they did arrest and then they continued to move on to look for more people. That’s not keeping us safer; that’s not securing our nation. That’s just cruel and again, that’s their point. So, I think in this moment what we’re seeing is ICE trying to see how far they can go in getting away with certain things that they’re doing that are outside of the rules and laws,” Awawdeh said.  

Despite his concerns, Awawdeh said policies like the one the State Fair has in place are a good start to protecting people, and he commends them for the action.

“I think this policy is a good one. The State Fair wouldn’t be the State Fair without immigrants, and I think it would be incredibly horrendous if ICE or other federal agents were to try to go and do harm there,” Awawdeh said.