“We want people to come here, despite where they came from or despite the circumstances that drove them to this country and to this state,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said in December 2021. “You are welcome with open arms, and we will work to keep you safe. We will not only house you but protect you.”
Hochul’s remarks referred explicitly to New York’s efforts to resettle Afghan refugees, but neither the governor nor her administration were as circumspect when conveying “our message to the world,” which was to “send us your people, send us those who need the cloak of comfort.” Those remarks follow efforts by her administration to shore up New York’s “sanctuary” policies for migrants, which that same year were bolstered to include penalties even for New Yorkers who dare threaten to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce U.S. immigration law. “This legislation will protect New Yorkers from bad actors who use extortion or coercion due to their immigration status and make our state safer against vile threats and intimidation,” the governor said in a statement announcing that new initiative.
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