Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) said at a retail theft-related press conference Tuesday she would be “the first one to call ICE” if a migrant or illegal immigrant breaks the law.
That stance goes against some other governors who have vowed to protect illegal immigrants in their states against President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans. The New York governor added that she supports finding asylum-seekers work.
“That’s separate from people who are criminals,” she said. “If someone breaks the law, I’ll be the first one to call up ICE and say, get them out of here.”
While Hochul’s stance isn’t strikingly different from other Democrats, most have agreed that those who break the law significantly should face consequences, the majority have flat-out refused to assist the Trump administration’s federal immigration authority.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) called a legislative special session in California to resist Trump’s conservative agenda. “The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive.”
“No one’s off the table,” Tom Homan, Trump’s nominated “border czar,” said at the Republican National Convention in July. “If you’re in the country illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.”
Hochul caught quick backlash for her statement from possible 2026 Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).
“If Governor Hochul actually meant what she said, Laken Riley would still be alive today,” he said.
“The truth is she doesn’t, and she even helped usher in NY’s sanctuary state status. This shameless effort to hide from her record won’t be forgotten by New Yorkers.”
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Hochul said she would be running for reelection “but not now I’m governing and doing my job,” in response to criticism from Lawler as well as Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), another gubernatorial candidate.
The governor has been vastly unpopular for her pause, then reinstatement, of congestion pricing and handling of migrants in the state. While she helped House Democrats flip several seats in their favor, her job security remains under threat.