New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman met Tuesday night for their only scheduled debate of the 2026 governor’s race, trading sharp attacks over immigration enforcement with just three weeks left before voters head to the polls.
According to Breitbart News, the two clashed over sanctuary policies, ICE operations, and the state’s spending on migrants, with Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, repeatedly going on offense.
Hochul Says ICE ‘Out of Control’
Hochul, a Democrat seeking another term, directed her fire at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the debate, declaring at one point that “ICE is out of control, it’s out of control in Nassau County,” the jurisdiction Blakeman leads.
She cited the case of an 11-year-old boy who she said cried because his father had been detained in an ICE raid.
Blakeman rejected the framing. He pointed to ICE having removed more than 2,000 migrants with criminal convictions from Nassau County and argued the operations have made local streets safer. He said there had been no unrest, violence, or incidents at schools, hospitals, or churches as ICE carried out its duties in the county, and he insisted that cooperation between local governments and federal immigration authorities improves community safety.
He also tied a recent Bronx shooting to Hochul’s policies. In that incident, an illegal migrant gang member was grazed in the neck as he allegedly tried to use his car to run down police officers. Blakeman said the episode would not have happened without the state’s sanctuary policies, which limit local cooperation with ICE detainers.
An Emotional Exchange
Blakeman, in turn, offered an emotional appeal of his own, invoking two women who were murdered in Nassau County by an illegal migrant. He challenged Hochul directly: “What do you say to their families?”
The debate comes as New York has positioned itself at the center of the left’s response to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. As governor, Hochul has spent billions on benefits for migrants, restricted how freely federal immigration officers can operate in the state, and released tens of thousands of criminals back onto the streets rather than allow ICE to take them into custody for deportation, according to Breitbart’s account.
Blakeman also attacked Hochul during another segment of the debate for what he described as wasting billions on illegal immigrants.
Polling Signals Trouble Among Jewish Voters
Recent polling suggests Hochul may be losing ground with a key Democratic constituency. A Siena College poll conducted as the campaign winds down found that only 56 percent of Jewish voters planned to reelect Hochul, according to Breitbart.
CNN noted that Jewish voters are leaning toward Republicans at record rates this cycle, with the Democratic advantage among Jewish voters now at just 13 points — down from plus-40 in 2018 and plus-49 in 2022.
With the debate now behind them, the two candidates have three weeks to make their closing arguments to New York voters.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/14/blakeman-hochul-battle-over-immigration-in-new-york-governor-debate/