Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — Gov. Kathy Hochul faced intense questioning during a contentious hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill, as Republican lawmakers challenged New York state’s sanctuary policies.
The
House Oversight Committee
‘s chairman threatened to withdraw funding from sanctuary cities and states, accusing governors of providing safe havens for undocumented immigrants.
Hochul, alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, all Democrats, defended their states’ policies against claims from Republicans that they limit cooperation with federal immigration agents and contribute to crime.
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GOP lawmakers grill governors of NY, Illinois and Minnesota over ‘sanctuary’ policies
“You’re putting a federal problem on our laps, and you know what, it gets old after a while,” Hochul said during the hearing. “I wish you would just do your job here.”
New York Rep. Nick Langworthy accused Hochul of allowing violent criminals to evade federal officials, citing high-profile crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants, including a case last year in Irondequoit, where two men from the Dominican Republic are accused of murder for the killing of a family of four.
BACKGROUND:
Second suspect arrested in Irondequoit family murder case
“Your laws put lives in danger,” Langworthy said. “Your laws have led to people being murdered.”
Hochul countered that argument.
“My job is to protect the people of New York, and I fight hard every single day,” she said, adding that murder rates are at historic lows.
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Hochul signs new gun safety laws, touts decline in shootings
Hochul did not directly respond to the Irondequoit claim but refuted Langworthy’s interpretation of the state’s policies.
“There has been countless, countless instances where we have cooperated with federal law enforcement,” she said. “It happens on a daily basis.”
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Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett defended Hochul and the other governors, criticizing the hearing as “political theater” and apologizing for the “abuse” they faced.
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