No sanctuary for ICE.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing renewed pressure ahead of Tuesday’s “State of the State” address to pass the pro-sanctuary “NY4All Act” — as she signals support for a new law allowing New Yorkers to sue federal agents.
The push to enshrine sanctuary policies comes from Democrats infuriated by ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shooting Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis — and who sense Hochul wants to appease her left flank as she seeks re-election this year.
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins buoyed their hopes last week by calling to pass NY4All, which would stop all police and state employees from working with immigration authorities.
“We have to do it as fast as we can,” said Michael Gianaris, the Senate’s deputy majority leader, who denounced ICE agents as “garbage human beings.”
ICE-bashing pols, including Gianaris, held a rally Monday in Albany to drum up support for NY4All — one day before Hochul’s big speech outlining her election-year agenda.
Hochul has refused to take a position on the bill, but will include support in her “State of the State” agenda for another piece of legislation making it easier for New Yorkers to sue immigration agents over alleged civil rights violations.
Other states — including California and New Jersey — passed similar laws, although Massachusetts and Maine ran into trouble when judges found the feds can claim “qualified immunity.”
Hochul’s support for the bill — and, so far, silence on “NY4All” — signifies the delicate balance she’s striking ahead of her “State of the States.”
The governor plans to make a unifying rallying call in the address, without alienating both moderates and the progressives she has been courting since backing Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s successful mayoral campaign in the Big Apple.
“She has really got to make sure that these policies are exciting enough for the left, but also strategic and moderate enough in terms of the pocketbook for the moderates in the Democratic Party,” said former state Sen. David Carlucci, a political strategist.
“I think that’s going to be extremely, extremely important.”
Hochul’s proposal to provide universal child care to 2-year-olds in New York City is likely to be one of her marquee proposals in the speech.
She’ll likely push for a law banning protests within 25 feet of houses of worship, a move to curtail demonstrations similar to one outside Park East Synagogue in November.
Evan Roth Smith, founder of Slingshot Strategies, said Hochul has been smart about her early alliance with the still-popular Mamdani, especially by focusing on areas of broad agreement such as child care.
“The needle she needs to thread is how does she maintain enough of her relationship and the political alliance with Zohran Mamdani, assuming he remains relatively popular in New York City, in order to turn out New York City Democrats, which she will need without opening her up to Republican criticism,” said Evan Roth Smith, founder of Slingshot Strategies.
Hochul’s estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado — who is running to her left in the Democratic primary — said he wants to see a more detailed universal child care plan, support for NY4All and a move to restore health benefits to 450,000 people kicked off New York’s Essential Plan.
Delgado is skipping Hochul’s speech to go on a “State of the People” listening tour Tuesday.
“I’m listening for what she doesn’t say,” he said.
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