Golf - The 2025 Ryder Cup - Bethpage Black Golf Course, Farmingdale, New York, United States - September 24, 2025 New York Governor Kathy Hochul during the opening ceremony IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Dennis Schneidler
(Albany, New York) – Governor Kathy Hochul has released a new, controversial, immigration plan this week. The idea would allow New Yorkers to sue ICE officers in state court, if their constitutional rights have been violated, or restricted by the federal agents.Â
Speaking in Queens, Hochul said the proposal aims to protect residents who feel their safety and civil liberties have been jeopardized by federal immigration operations. She argued that New Yorkers should be able to work, worship, and go about their daily lives without fear of intrusive enforcement actions. “New Yorkers should be able to attend school, access child care, seek medical care, and worship in peace,” her office said in materials outlining the plan.
The plan, rolled out during her State of the State address, includes a provision to allow state-level civil lawsuits against federal officers — a concept modeled in part on existing civil rights frameworks — and would require judicial warrants before ICE can conduct raids in places like schools, hospitals and churches. Supporters say these measures would ensure accountability and safeguard constitutional rights.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told the New York Times that Hochul’s proposals unfairly target law enforcement and undermine agents who are enforcing federal immigration law and removing violent criminals, framing the move as a political attack rather than a constructive policy effort.
The legislation is likely to shape debate in New York’s gubernatorial race and comes amid nationwide protests and political pressure after recent high-profile immigration enforcement actions, including a deadly ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis that has sparked calls for greater oversight of federal agents.
