Emboldened by protests and anti-immigration enforcement actions in other Democrat strangleholds, New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul moved to block agreements that would allow local police to assist federal immigration enforcement, warning the Trump administration.
"You don't want to go there," Hochul told MS Now's "Morning Joe" on Monday.
"In New York, we know who we are, and I have to stand up and forbid these agreements."
President Donald Trump stressed cooperation with Democrat-run sanctuary states such as New York, and border czar Tom Homan warned that lack of cooperation — including support for obstructionist protests — makes federal immigration enforcement operations more dangerous.
"We are trying so hard to avoid this," Hochul said.
"We are all doing just fine," she continued. "We do not need a surge."
Hochul said she has already explored legal avenues to block federal detention centers in the state under environmental review laws.
"There are signs that they're trying to build a large detention center just 45 miles outside the city, so that's got to get through a lot of state reviews," she said. "Let me just say that I'm going to be looking to see, Is it on wetlands?
"Is there zoning involved? Is there you know, maybe is there some, you know, snails that are environmentally sensitive?"
Hochul warned the Trump administration against picking a battle with New York.
"I think they know that if you come after New York City, you will destabilize the economic engine of the country," she continued. "You do not want to go there."
Hochul appeared to acknowledge that local police may be better equipped to help de-escalate tensions during ICE operations and federal law enforcement activity.
"They're pulling in people from border patrol; they also had, I saw, one image of someone from the bureau of prisons: They cannot possibly be trained in conflict de-escalation, the way local law enforcement," she said before stopping herself and quickly pivoting off it.
"They don't belong in this. But you're not using our local police."
Hochul vowed to fight federal immigration enforcement efforts in New York
"We are standing up; we're taking a strong position," she concluded. "And I'm so proud of the people in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
"We're saying enough is enough. We're taking our country back."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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