Two female New York lawmakers who might be running for Governor in 2026, current NY Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Elise Stefanik squared off in the House Oversight Committee. During a tense exchange, Stefanik confronted Hochul with what she sees as the heinous ramifications of Hochul’s continuing sanctuary state policies that protect illegal immigrants.
Hochul and Executive Order 1
Stefanik opened her questioning by confirming that Gov. Hochul’s first act upon becoming Governor was to sign New York Executive Order 1. This order directs the continuation of all of her predecessor’s executive orders, including the state’s sanctuary policy. That includes Executive Order No. 170 signed by disgraced NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2017.
This order restricts state employees and law enforcement from disclosing information to federal immigration authorities for civil immigration enforcement purposes. It also prohibits state employees from inquiring about a person’s immigration status unless necessary for specific purposes like determining eligibility for services.
According to Stefanik, this Order is the foundation of the Empire State’s protection of illegal immigrants which has led to some horrific and heinous crimes against the citizens of New York.
This is not the first time that Hochul has tangled with the federal government over immigration policy. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice sued Hochul over the state’s “Green Light Laws.”
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“This is Kathy Hochul’s New York”
Stefanik then laced into Hochul, peppering her with questions about recent current events in New York which Stefanik said Hochul should be aware of as Governor. Among those events were:
- The confession of Sakir Akkan, a Turkish illegal immigrant who had been in state custody for a year despite the federal Department of Homeland Security presenting a warrant for his deportation. Albany officials held Akkan “in secret” for the rape of a 15-year old, according to the Albany Times Union.
- Sebastian Zepeta-Calil, another illegal immigrant, was caught on camera burning a woman alive on the subway. Zepeta-Calil pleaded not guilty, claiming he was blacked-out drunk at the time of this vile act. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claimed on X that “ICE lodged an immigration detainer with the NYC Department of Corrections to take this depraved alien into custody,”
- Yet another illegal immigrant, Raymond Rojas Basilio, a Mexican national who entered illegally, was convicted of molesting a child under 11 years old. According to the New York Post. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stated that “Unfortunately, non-cooperation policies prevented ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] from taking immediate custody of this individual upon completion of his local sentence” as ICE picked up Diaz on the streets months after his release.
- Finally, Stefanik raised the case of Wilson Castillo Diaz. According to WCHS, local officials in Nassau County arrested Diaz for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl in Nassau County. Diaz had illegally entered the U.S. near the Rio Grande Valley in Texas on April 12, 2014, according to the Nassau County Police Department. He then blew off his immigration court hearing, and has been here illegally ever since.
If you want to read the entire exchange while viewing the video, Rep. Stefanik published the transcript here.
A Preview of The Race for Governor?
The heated back-and-forth may be a preview of the next race for governor of New York, as we’ve heard more than a few whispers that Stefanik will seek to challenge Hochul. Stefanik has been making the rounds to different parts of the state to position herself as a frontrunner.
Hochul even called Stefanik out at the hearing for looking to create a “viral moment” that Stefanik could use in the future. In response, Stefanik proclaimed that she was standing up for New Yorkers whom Hochul had de-prioritized in favor of illegal immigrants.
Give Us Your Thoughts on Hochul and Stefanik
Do you think Elise Stefanik is grandstanding? Or, do you think that Kathy Hochul is trying to use politics to distract from her failures on immigration policy? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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