Shortly after defending their handling of the migrant crisis before Congress, Democratic governors have reverted to their familiar approach: allocating taxpayer funds to protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul took this a step further on Tuesday, following the brief arrest of the city’s comptroller and mayoral candidate during an ICE detainment of an illegal immigrant. At a hastily called press conference, Hochul announced plans to include a $50 million line item in the state’s upcoming budget to provide free legal assistance to illegal immigrants in New York facing deportation.
“Walking out of this courthouse, taken away from their families, they don’t have the attention. They don’t have the lawyers,” the Democrat said of illegal immigrants shortly after New York City comptroller Brad Lander was released from custody for allegedly assaulting an ICE agent. “And that’s why the state of New York is providing $50 million to cover legal services for people who are finding themselves in this situation,” she announced.
On Tuesday, Lander was arrested after linking arms with a suspected illegal immigrant targeted by immigration authorities, refusing to release hold until a warrant was presented. The Democratic New York City mayoral candidate was forcibly taken to the ground and handcuffed, marking another dramatic instance of far-left officials actively opposing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
It remains unclear whether Hochul plans to establish a new funding line or increase the existing $10 million already allocated by state lawmakers. That initial allocation followed a Trump administration investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James and was widely viewed as a targeted fund to support James.
Since 2022, New York has spent more than $7.5 billion addressing the migrant crisis, according to CBS News. The city faced an unprecedented influx of arrivals that strained public services and led to heartbreaking scenes of families seeking shelter on sidewalks. Mayor Eric Adams sharply criticized the Biden administration for its lenient border policies and expanded asylum programs.
City officials warn that without federal support, New York could incur up to an additional $12 billion in costs over the next three years, according to Bloomberg. At the heart of the controversy is the refusal of many state and local officials—predominantly Democrats—to cooperate with ICE’s deportation efforts.
