Hochul calls for deportation of NYPD officers’ attackers

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has called for the deportation of migrants who attacked two New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square last weekend.

On Thursday, Hochul said the attackers should be deported after assaulting police officers Saturday. A video of the attack was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by the police department. 

“Get them all and send them back,” Hochul said in a clip aired on CNN “This Morning.” “You don’t touch our police officers. You don’t touch anybody.”

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Friday that all seven suspects are migrants.

In the video, police officers were seen trying to get a hold of a person in a yellow shirt or coat. After struggling to take him down, both officers hit the ground. They were piled upon by other men, who proceeded to kick and hit them.

On Saturday, four men were arrested and charged with gang assault, obstructing government administration and assaulting a police officer. A fifth man was charged Monday with attempted assault.

All five individuals charged were released without bail.

NBC New York reported Friday that two more suspects were arrested, bringing the total to seven. The new report was confirmed to The Hill by an NYPD spokesperson Friday. The spokesperson could not say if they had been released.

Hochul had similar comments about the attack on Wednesday, noting the deportation of the attackers is worth exploring. 

“I think that’s actually something that should be looked at. I mean, if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York, and they’re not here legally, definitely worth checking into,” Hochul said. 

The police officers suffered minor injuries and were treated on the scene, according to a report by NewsNation. One suffered a laceration to the nose.

Hochul, a Democrat, along with other blue-state mayors and governors have had to deal with a large influx of migrants coming into their states and cities. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused many migrants to blue-led cities and states. The Texas governor wants stricter border security measures as the U.S. deals with the record number of encounters at the southern border. In December, encounters surpassed 300,000 in a month, setting a new record. 

Blue-state mayors and governors have asked for assistance from President Biden and the federal government. Biden pledged to “shut down” the border if the Senate passed bipartisan legislation that has been negotiated for weeks now.