New York Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced legislation last week that would ban the state's police departments from entering into formal agreements to work on behalf of federal immigration authorities, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Her announcement comes as the nation's eyes remain on Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents fatally shot Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti.
Multiple states and localities have been looking for ways to restrict ICE after the shootings. Hochul says that even though New York City is a sanctuary city, policing agencies in other areas of the state have "become basically deputized ICE agents." She recalls a young boy's story of local law enforcement taking his father away and handing him over to ICE. This is one instance the governor mentions in which police officers have been weaponized against their own communities.
In an interview with Morning Edition, Hochul said that while fewer than 10 of the state's 62 counties cooperate with ICE at any level, it shouldn't be happening at all.
Hochul calls ICE "A rogue agency out of control."
She added that the proposal of the state legislation is happening during a "moment in history where we'll be judged by whether we stood up or we cowered to power."
While speaking with NPR's A Martínez, Hochul discussed why her proposed legislation is so important now, how the Trump administration has deviated from its original immigration agenda and how she views the current state of the U.S.
Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.
The web copy was written by Brittney Melton and edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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