WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Elise Stefanik and Gov. Kathy Hochul confronted off over New York’s migrant disaster throughout a fiery congressional listening to on sanctuary insurance policies — because the congresswoman stumped the governor in questions on high-profile migrant crimes.
Stefanik (R-NY) — who’s eyeing a run in opposition to Hochul within the 2026 election — pressed the Democratic governor for the title of a Guatemalan man within the nation illegally who’s accused of torching a girl to dying on a Brooklyn F practice final December.
“Have you learnt who Sebastian Zapeta-Calil is,” Stefanik requested.
“I’m certain you’ll inform me,” Hochul replied. “There’s many instances.”
“These are high-profile instances. New Yorkers learn about them and also you don’t?” Stefanik shot again.
Stefanik additionally grilled Hochul on Wilson Castillo Diaz, a migrant accused of raping a 5-year-old, and Raymond Rojas Basilio, a migrant accused of molesting an 11-year-old in Queens.
Hochul didn’t acknowledge these two both.
Hochul appeared earlier than the Home Committee on Oversight and Authorities Reform alongside fellow Democrats, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The New York gov was additionally placed on blast by firebrand Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who drilled her over a Jesus Romero-Hernandez, a Mexican migrant launched from upstate Tompkins County’s jail by the native sheriffs division regardless of ICE having a judicial warrant for his arrest.
“A court docket order and a detainer for a man who did the issues Mr. Hernandez did and Tompkins County can’t maintain him an hour and 18 minutes and also you gained’t say that’s flawed?,” Jordan requested.
“I’ve mentioned, we cooperate when there’s a felony case for a few of this dedicated against the law,” Hochul replied.
Hochul mentioned the state has helped US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement take away over 1,300 felony migrants since she turned governor in 2021.
However Hochul repeatedly refused to say if Tompkins County, which has its personal coverage in opposition to cooperating with ICE, was flawed to not maintain Romero-Hernandez a further hour earlier than the feds arrived. The suspect pleaded responsible to assault costs however walked regardless of a federal deportation order.
“That was a horrible state of affairs. The individual mustn’t have been on the market,” Hochul replied.
Hochul renewed the state’s controversial sanctuary coverage, first outlined below an government order by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It bars state staff from asking about somebody’s immigration standing apart from in conditions corresponding to felony investigations.
Many localities across the state corresponding to New York Metropolis have their very own, usually extra rigorous, sanctuary insurance policies.
Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) blamed New York’s insurance policies for releasing Jose Antonio Ibarra, who murdered 22-year-old Georgia nursing scholar Laken Riley a yr after he was let loose on little one endangerment costs in New York Metropolis.
Langworthy blasted the Inexperienced Gentle Legislation, which permits undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license and blocks the state from sharing details about these folks with the feds with out a warrant. He additionally cited bail reforms that restrict judges’ discretion to set money bail for many misdemeanors and non-violent felonies.
“Your bail reform legislation is the explanation Laken Riley is lifeless,” Langworthy accused.
“It’s simply, it’s past perception. That is denial and excuses, governor,” he added.
One other potential gubernatorial challenger, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) additionally drilled into and once-again-non-committal Hochul asking whether or not she’d signal laws to enshrine New York’s sanctuary insurance policies in state legislation.
“I’m not talking on hypothetical payments,” Hochul mentioned attempting to deflect.
“Governor, this isn’t a hypothetical. There was a sit-in within the state legislature at present by activists blocking state Senators from coming into the chamber. Do you help the New York for All Act? Sure or no,” Lawler retorted.
“I’ll let you know this. I get a few thousand payments on my desk –” Hochul mentioned earlier than Lawler continued peppering her.
“Do you help the New York for All Act?” he repeated till Comer needed to lower him off.
Lawler additionally introduced up Hochul’s flip flop on permitting undocumented migrants to obtain drivers licenses, one thing she vehemently opposed when working for Congress.
Republicans throughout the board got here to the listening to with knives sharpened for the Dems.
“Let me be clear, sanctuary insurance policies don’t shield Individuals, they shield felony, unlawful aliens,” Home Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) mentioned in his remarks kicking off the listening to.
“Governor Hochul’s sanctuary insurance policies value taxpayers billions to accommodate, feed, and supply driver’s license for unlawful aliens whereas the price of lease rises and hospitals are overrun. Her defiance of federal legislation invitations crime to plague communities throughout the state,” Comer mentioned, ripping into the New York gov particularly.
All through the listening to Hochul tried to argue each that New York has certainly been cooperating with ICE to deport felony migrants, but in addition that the feds immigration raids and crackdown on protestors in LA are a “flagrant abuse of energy.”
“My views on immigration are easy and direct, our nation wants safe borders, our nation wants complete immigration reform from this physique, and our state legal guidelines dictate that we cooperate with ICE and felony instances,” Hochul mentioned.
There are round 37,600 migrants within the New York Metropolis’s care, down considerably from the disaster’ peak, in accordance with figures supplied Thursday by Metropolis Corridor,
The state has allotted $4.3 billion in direction of offering shelter, well being providers, and different advantages to take care of the disaster. New York Metropolis has spent $6.8 billion.
Further reporting by Haley Brown
