New York to restrict ICE despite threat from Trump's border czar

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's border czar has threatened to “ flood the zone ” with immigration agents if New York passes bills to limit local coordination with the federal government's crackdown.

New York seems ready to do so anyway.

“I don't take well to threats,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday. "We’re going to pass what we think is important to protect New Yorkers.”

Tensions are escalating as Democrats attempt to place guardrails around the Trump administration's immigration agenda following the Republican’s often chaotic and violent deportation efforts.

The proposals, which are not yet finalized, would bar state and local law enforcement from entering into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or acting as civil immigration agents, and deny ICE from entering sensitive locations such as schools or hospitals without a judicial warrant.

The governor, a Democrat, is also moving to ban federal, state and local law enforcement from wearing masks while on duty, along with a measure creating a path for people to sue ICE officers.

Hochul, who on Thursday announced she had reached a deal with legislative leaders to include the immigration proposals in the state budget, said the state would “help you go after the hardened criminals, the violent, the worst of the worst.”

“This does not restrict our ability to help in criminal situations and I want people to understand that, but my God, it has gone too far," she said.

Homan told Fox News this week that “of course we’re going to increase manpower, a lot" if New York moved forward with the proposals.

"They can put up all the roadblocks they want, but we're going to do this job," he said.

Homan and Hochul met at New York state Capitol earlier this year, and though the sit-down was private, the governor told reporters Thursday that Homan had told her “the era of the surges is over.”

Bruce Blakeman, a Republican candidate for governor, criticized the governor’s proposals, saying his Long Island county’s agreement with ICE has been successful in getting “bad people out of our community” and has resulted in orderly immigration enforcement efforts.