On Thursday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) stated, “I don’t want to highlight” migrants who committed crimes and that while the state has stronger cooperation with ICE than New York City does and is right to do so, she won’t say if she wants the city to tighten its laws.
Co-host Kate Bolduan asked, “The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams (D), he’s trying to make moves on this right now, saying that he wants to basically change the city’s sanctuary city status in order to make it easier to deport migrants who are accused of serious crimes…before that’s even worked its way through courts. Do you agree with that move?”
Hochul answered, “What I would say is the State of New York has a different sanctuary policy. We are allowed to work with federal immigration officials when a crime has been committed, as we should be able to. And what we want to have happen in the State of New York, if someone commits a crime like the horrific assault by migrants against police officers in Times Square, I immediately said, I want them arrested, tried, and if convicted, I want them to spend time in New York jails before they are deported, because if they’re released, go back to their country, I don’t know if they won’t be back in the next few months. So, I think we have more control, at least under New York State laws.”
She continued, “Now the city has a different view and they can do — choose the path they want to, but also, it’s a crisis that we need solved right now. We should not even be talking about crimes being committed by migrants in the streets of New York, and the vast majority of them are law-abiding citizens. They truly are. They came here for a better life, and I don’t want to highlight those who committed crimes. They do exist. They exist in every society, but right now, the State of New York has the power to work with ICE when these situations occur.”
Bolduan then asked, “Because the difference is, is that Eric Adams seems to want them to be able to be deported before [they’re] tried and convicted of a crime. You think that is a bad move?”
Hochul answered, “Well, that is not consistent with our policy at the state level. We work with people. We want them to — I want people to have a punishment when they commit a crime against a New Yorker. I want to make sure that happens. That’s very important to me.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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