Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), in a contentious exchange during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Thursday, slammed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) over recent crimes in the state committed by migrants living in the country illegally.
Stefanik invoked an executive order immigration signed by Hochul, along with a number of recent crimes committed by those who were in the country without authorization, including the burning of a woman on the New York City subway last year.
“This is Kathy Hochul’s New York. It’s one of the many reasons why you’re hemorrhaging support from hardworking New York families,” Stefanik said. “They’re horrific crimes that are committed on your watch. You signed this executive order on your first day in office. You signed it again and again this January.”
“We deserved a governor who stands up for New Yorkers, who doesn’t put illegals first but actually puts New Yorkers first,” she continued.
The exchange took place at the Oversight Committee hearing on sanctuary states Thursday, featuring Hochul, along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D).
Stefanik several times spoke over Hochul during the heated back-and-forth as the New York governor struggled to recall specifics of the cases but repeatedly told Stefanik she condemns the “horrific” crimes Stefanik cited.
She said New York cooperates with Immigration Customs Enforcement.
“Rather than you going after the viral moment, I suggest you look at the facts,” Hochul responded.
“No, no, no. I’m standing up for New Yorkers,” Stefanik retorted.
Most scientific research on the connection between immigration and crime has found immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than their U.S.-born peers.
Stefanik, who is not on the Oversight Committee but appeared on the dais at the hearing as a member of House GOP leadership, is considering a run for New York governor.
Hochul is facing a potentially tough reelection bid in New York next year, four years after she won election in the blue state by single digits.
A Siena College poll released last month showed 55 percent of New York voters said they want “someone else” in next year’s gubernatorial race, while 36 percent said they prefer Hochul, marking a shift of negative 10 points since the same poll last month.
However, the same poll showed that Hochul’s approval rating remained relatively high at 50 percent, up from 48 percent last month.