New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) called for a temporary halt to federal immigration enforcement operations in her state and demanded the public release of body camera footage after a shooting involving an ICE agent that she said has turned a New York community into a “tinderbox.”
In an appearance Friday on MSNOW’s “Deadline: White House,” Hochul said the investigation into the shooting of a man by an ICE agent is “ongoing, and we have insisted that the body cam footage be released to the public as soon as possible.” She added that she conveyed the same message directly, both to President Trump and to Secretary Mullin.
“We insist on seeing the evidence of what exactly happened there,” Hochul said.
Governor Requests Pause on ICE Activity
The governor went further, saying, “I also said I want a cessation of ICE activities in New York, at least in the short term.” According to Hochul, the goal is to lower the temperature. “Let us calm everything down. I said, this is a tinderbox.”
Hochul recounted the circumstances of the shooting as she described them, saying that an operation took place in broad daylight in a neighborhood and that shots were fired “near a school with lots of kids around.” She also alleged that a child was present in a vehicle that came under fire.
“Then there’s justified outrage from this community,” she said. “And it basically is a statement that we have had enough.”
The comments, first reported by Breitbart, come as the state awaits the release of the footage and the results of the investigation. Hochul did not say what she believes the footage will show, only that the public should see it.
Rejecting the Sanctuary Label
Later in the interview, Hochul pushed back on characterizations of New York as a sanctuary jurisdiction, arguing that state law already provides for cooperation with federal authorities in certain circumstances.
“If there’s a terrorist, a murderer, a rapist, our policies say we will help you remove them,” she said. “It is New York state’s law and policy that we’ll cooperate with federal agencies when there is a court order or a warrant for someone’s arrest. We always have. This is not new.”
She argued the sanctuary label amounts to a “mischaracterization.”
“It’s not a sanctuary for criminals, but we are a place for people who come to build a better life and their families and escape persecution and oppression and poverty. They are welcome here.”
A Deeper Political Standoff
The exchange captures a broader dispute between New York’s Democratic leadership and federal immigration authorities over how enforcement operations are conducted and how much the state is willing to assist. Hochul’s position attempts to draw a line: cooperation when a court order or arrest warrant exists, but no participation in what she describes as indiscriminate enforcement actions.
Her request for a short-term halt in ICE activity is notable because it is not a call to abolish the agency or a permanent ban. In her words, it is a pause meant to prevent further escalation in a community where tensions have spiked.
She did not specify how long such a pause should last, nor did she outline conditions under which she would consider the situation de-escalated. The request also raises questions about whether the federal government would honor a state-level call to stand down, particularly given the administration’s public posture on immigration enforcement.
Hochul’s statement that she had spoken with both the president and Secretary Mullin suggests the matter has reached the highest levels of both the state and federal governments, though the source material does not detail what response she received.
For now, the immediate focus appears to be on two demands from the governor: the prompt release of body camera footage and a temporary cease in ICE operations in New York, which she argues is necessary to prevent the situation from boiling over.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/09/hochul-were-not-a-sanctuary-for-criminals-ice-should-stop-operating-in-ny-at-least-in-short-term/