Gov. Hochul Says Deporting Illegal Immigrants Who Attacked NYPD Officers ‘Should Be Looked At’

Published: 2/1/2024, 3:52:52 PM EST

Gov. Hochul Says Deporting Illegal Immigrants Who Attacked NYPD Officers ‘Should Be Looked At’ — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference and signing of legislation creating a commission for the study of reparations in New York on Dec. 19, 2023, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has expressed concern about an incident that happened on Jan. 27 where two NYPD officers were assaulted by a group of illegal immigrants while attempting to break up a disorderly crowd near Times Square.

Speaking at an event on Jan. 31, Ms. Hochul reiterated Republican calls that the asylum-seeking suspects should be deported.

"I think that's actually something that should be looked at," the Democratic governor said when asked whether the suspects should face deportation, the New York Post reported.

"I mean, if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York and they're not here legally, it’s definitely worth checking into," she added.

"These are law enforcement officers who should never under any circumstances be subjected to physical assault. It's wrong on all accounts and I’m looking to judges and prosecutors to do the right thing."

Authorities arrested four people—Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, Wilson Juarez, 21, and Yorman Reveron, 24—on the scene and charged them with second-degree assault on a law enforcement officer and obstruction of governmental administration.

The alleged assailants were released without bail following their arraignment, a decision NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell called "reprehensible," saying the "cowards" should be in jail.

"The four that were arrested should be sitting in Rikers right now on bail. They should be indicted this week and taken off our streets. Do you want to know why our cops are getting assaulted? There are no consequences," Mr. Chell told reporters during a news conference.

A fifth individual, Jhoan Boada, 22, was arrested on Jan. 29 and charged with attempted assault on a police officer and gang assault. On Jan. 31, Mr. Boada was also released without bail, giving cameras the middle finger as he exited the courthouse.

On Jan. 31, police arrested two more suspects—Yohenry Brito, 24, and Jandry Barros, 21—and charged them with felony assault and robbery.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office, meanwhile, acknowledged that it did not request bail for the suspects, saying prosecutors are in the process of gathering additional video evidence of the attack.

The attack, which took place around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, was caught on video and shows a group of men kicking and punching two NYPD officers. According to the NYPD, the officers were attempting to disperse the group, but it quickly turned into a physical altercation.

Authorities said the two officers suffered minor injuries, such as cuts to the face and bruised bodies, and were treated at the scene.

Republican Leaders Call for Deportation

Ms. Hochul addressing the matter on Jan. 31 followed up on Republican calls for the "immediate deportation" of all the illegal immigrant suspects connected to the brutal police beating.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who represents the state's 11th Congressional District, said in a statement that the video capturing the attack is a "horrifying example" of why New York City Mayor Erik Adams needs to "put an end to our city’s migrant crisis once and for all."

"Citizens should not be paying to house ingrates who are wreaking havoc in our city. But instead, the Mayor continues forcing New York City taxpayers to house and provide free services for these thugs, who took advantage of New York’s botched bail law and were released right back onto the street after this attack," Ms. Malliotakis said.

"As migrants continue to commit crimes all over our city, including murder, stabbings, robberies, prostitution and assault, the city is refusing to cooperate with federal detainer and deportation requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement," she added. "Republicans, Democrats & Independents should, at the very least, be able to agree that migrants who assault our police or commit crimes in our country should be deported immediately and have any future immigration application denied."

The Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the largest police union representing the NYPD, also addressed the attack, denouncing the state's justice system as it expressed outrage over the suspects being released without bail.

"Attacks on police officers are becoming an epidemic, and the reason is a revolving door we're seeing in cases like this one," said PBA President Patrick Hendry. "It is impossible for police officers to deal effectively with crime and disorder if the justice system can't or won't protect us while we do that work."

Illegal Immigrants Continue to Flood Big Apple

New York is a so-called sanctuary city with sanctuary policies, meaning law enforcement officials are limited in their cooperating with federal authorities or in notifying the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about criminal defendants, such as the group recently charged in the attack on the two NYPD officers.

Opponents of sanctuary policies argue they have led to increased crime and danger to the public. Supporters of sanctuary policies argue that criminals among illegal immigrants are no more than those found among the general U.S. population.

The attack on NYPD officers also comes as New York is struggling with an influx of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants, which Mr. Adams has previously estimated will cost the city roughly $12 billion over the next three years.

In December, officials said more than 150,000 illegal immigrants have passed through New York's shelter system in less than two years, with over 67,000 that remain in emergency shelters across the city.

Across Manhattan, hotels such as the historic Roosevelt Hotel—many of them within walking distance from Times Square, the World Trade Center memorial site, and the Empire State Building—have been turned into makeshift shelters and temporary housing.

Both Ms. Hochul and Mr. Adams have repeatedly pleaded with the Biden administration for federal help to deal with the city's influx of illegal immigrants.

"The federal government must step up and step in. This is a national crisis that calls for a national solution. It is time for the federal government to deal with this federal crisis and make sure we give them the opportunity," Mr. Adams said in his State of the City address on Jan. 24.