Hochul Backs Bill Letting New Yorkers Sue ICE Agents for Rights Violations

New York Governor Kathy Hochul just took another swing at law enforcement this time siding with illegal immigrants over the federal agents tasked with protecting our borders. In her latest State of the State address, Hochul announced support for radical legislation that would allow New Yorkers, including non-citizens, to sue ICE agents for simply doing their jobs.

Her justification? That “power does not justify abuse” as if federal officers are somehow systematically violating constitutional rights. In reality, this is just another Democrat power grab meant to weaken immigration enforcement and score points with the open-borders crowd.

Let’s break down what this bill would do:

• Give private citizens including illegal immigrants the right to file lawsuits against ICE agents in state court.

• Require judicial warrants for ICE to make arrests in schools, hospitals, and churches effectively turning these locations into safe havens for illegal immigrants.

• Prohibit state resources from being used to assist federal immigration raids unless “serious crimes” are involved.

This means that a gang member in the country illegally could hide out in a school, and ICE would need permission from a judge just to go in and arrest him.

Assemblymember Micah Lasher, a progressive running for Congress, championed this bill and accused ICE of “terrorizing” communities completely ignoring the fact that ICE targets criminals, not families or law-abiding citizens. Meanwhile, Hochul is happy to take up his cause while crime surges and taxpayers foot the bill for an out-of-control immigration crisis.

Let’s be clear: ICE isn’t the problem Democratic leadership is.

According to ICE’s 2023 report:

• Over 46,000 convicted criminals were arrested, including nearly 1,500 homicide suspects and over 7,800 sexual assault suspects.

• More than 2.5 million encounters with illegal immigrants at the border occurred in fiscal year 2023 the highest number in U.S. history.

• Nearly 60% of ICE arrests were of individuals with prior convictions or pending charges.

These are the people ICE is trying to keep off our streets. And yet Hochul’s message is clear: illegal immigrants deserve more protection than federal agents.

The backdrop of this legislation is a tragic incident in Minneapolis, where a U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an enforcement action. The Left immediately seized on the case, using it as an excuse to demonize ICE—despite facts about the incident still under investigation. Another ICE-involved shooting occurred in the city just days later, and now the Democrat mayor wants the agency banned from Minneapolis altogether.

The Department of Homeland Security has pushed back, accusing Hochul and her allies of smearing law enforcement and inflaming tensions that have already led to a spike in threats against ICE agents. As DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin put it, “They are putting their lives on the line to remove violent criminals from New York.”

Yet in Hochul’s New York, the criminals get sympathy, and the agents get sued.

This is the modern Democrat Party: pro-criminal, anti-cop, and aggressively dismantling the very systems that keep our country safe. With policies like this, it’s no wonder New York is losing residents by the hundreds of thousands and sanctuary state politicians like Hochul are the reason why.

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