Jim Jordan Brings The Receipts In Fierce Confrontation With Hochul Over Sanctuary Policies

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At today's House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) grilled Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY).

Transcript

00:00He recognizes Mr. Jordan from Ohio. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor Hochul, third paragraph,

00:05second sentence in your written testimony. You said New York State cooperates with U.S.

00:08Immigration Customs Enforcement in criminal cases. Governor, who's Jesus Romero Hernandez?

00:18Thank you. I want to reaffirm that we do cooperate in cases where... That wasn't a question.

00:23I just read your statement. I can read your statement. Who is Jesus Romero Hernandez?

00:27I don't have the details on every single person in a state of 20 million people.

00:32I understand. But this guy is a citizen of Mexico, deported seven times, came to your state,

00:36assaulted one of your residents with a machete, choked a police officer.

00:39Then when he was in custody, assaulted a corrections officer.

00:42ICE finds out this guy is in your state's custody, and they send you a detainer.

00:46You're familiar with a detainer, right? Yes, I am.

00:48Notice of action, immigration detainer to Tompkins County Jail from Syracuse Immigrations and Customs

00:57Enforcement. Section one, they check a couple boxes. The first one they check is a final order

01:02of removal against the alien has taken place. That means a court has said this guy needs to go.

01:08This machete-wielding, cop-choking, corrections officer-assaulting guy needs to go.

01:14Then they also check another box, and they say biometric confirmation of who this individual is,

01:19this alien's identity. So they got the right guy, and a court has said he needs to go.

01:23Any idea what Tompkins County Jail decided to do with that detainer order?

01:30I will tell you this. The state of New York...

01:33No, no, no, it's a specific question. What did Tompkins County do?

01:37Those, the descriptions you have put forth are absolutely chilling and disturbing and reprehensible

01:43to all of us. My job is to protect the people of New York.

01:47Which is why I'm asking the question. What did Tompkins County do?

01:49What I have responsibility for are state courts, state police...

01:53We cannot and will not hold Mr. Hernandez. We can't keep the machete guy who had choked

01:59a police officer and assaulted a corrections officer. We can't keep him. In fact, we have

02:03the back and forth from Tompkins County and ICE on January 28th of this year, 8.56 p.m.

02:11Tompkins County tells ICE, we're not going to hold this guy.

02:147 minutes later, ICE responds back. We will be there to take custody this evening.

02:2224 minutes later, Thompson County reiterates, we're not going to have him. We're not going

02:27to turn him over. 10.45. ICE arrives at the jail.

02:331 hour and 18 minutes later, and guess what? Mr. Hernandez is not there.

02:38They couldn't wait 1 hour and 18 minutes for a guy who assaulted one of your residents with

02:43the machete, choked a police officer, and then, when in custody, assaulted corrections officers.

02:48That is sanctuary policy in a nutshell, and that is what your state supports, and so do

02:52these other governors. That is what is so wrong-righted. American people hate this concept.

02:56You're conflating what the state of New York does as I control state police and prisons.

03:02We have turned over 1,300 people.

03:04So you disagree with it? We turn over 1,300 people. Did the sheriff make the wrong call?

03:08Those are local policies that we would not have done in the state of New York.

03:12The state of New York, that is a local decision. So you're saying the sheriff's wrong?

03:15I would say this. If it happened in a state prison, we have already turned over 1,300 people.

03:20Sheriff in Tompkins County, a Democrat or a Republican, Governor.

03:23There have been times. Excuse me.

03:25Is sheriff in Thompson County a Democrat or a Republican?

03:27Excuse me. Excuse me. There have been times.

03:29I ask the questions. You give the answers. Is he a Democrat or a Republican, you know?

03:32Well, I'm asking for a second. I'm asking for this moment to explain that I'm sometimes

03:39waiting for ICE to come pick up people. I'm asking, is he a Democrat or a Republican,

03:41and do you agree with the actions he took? I think he's a Democrat.

03:43Do you agree with the actions he took? How about that question?

03:45They are in conflict with what the state of New York would do.

03:48Well, maybe they're scared. By the way, he is a Democrat, Democrat sheriff. Maybe the county

03:52guys are a little scared because you said this. I'm quoting from, it looks like,

03:56the New York Times. We all know you can trust them. This is just, this is, this is last month,

04:02May 25th. You said, we have some counties that are renegade counties and work with ICE.

04:07Maybe they're nervous of being called a renegade county by their governor.

04:11So the Democrat sheriff says, we're not going to keep the machete-wielding, cop-choking,

04:16corrections officer-assaulting guy. We're not going to keep him here for you to get here.

04:19We can't even wait an hour and 18 minutes. Oh, you know what else was interesting in this case?

04:23You know what else was interesting? There was actually an arrest warrant from United States

04:29District Court, Northern District of New York signed by Judge Wiley-Danks Magistrate from Syracuse.

04:36There was an arrest warrant and they still couldn't keep him.

04:38The state of New York cooperates. We cooperate in removal of individuals who've served time.

04:43We respond to detention. You're confusing and maybe there's a lesson in civics here that's necessary.

04:49Will you say on the record, right here, I got 12 seconds. Will you say on the record,

04:52was Thompson, Tompkins County wrong in the actions they took on January 25th, 2025,

05:00when they wouldn't hold the guy for one hour and 18 minutes? Was Tompkins County wrong?

05:02Those are not the policies that we would have in the state of New York. Those are not the policies

05:06we would have in the state of New York. Were they wrong? Should they have turned that

05:09guy over to ICE? It's a simple question, Governor. That was a horrible situation. The person should not

05:14have been out there. It's a horrible situation, but it's a yes or no question. It is a response that

05:20this is a locality. Do you agree or disagree? In the state of New York, the person should have been

05:24held. Yes or no. The person should have been held and in the state of New York, we would have turned

05:27him over. That is in conflict with what we would do as a state with respect to prison. And I want to

05:32know why ICE won't come and pick up the individuals who have served time in our state. I have cases where

05:37they have not even shown up. Governor, a court order and a detainer for a guy who did the things Mr.

05:43Hernandez did and Tompkins County can't hold him an hour and 18 minutes and you won't say that's

05:47wrong? I have said we cooperate when there's a criminal case where someone has committed a crime.

05:52This is sanctuary policy. This is sanctuary policy in a nutshell. You won't even condemn

05:56something that anyone with common sense knows is ridiculous. You're mischaracterizing.

06:00I had the facts here. Can I do one other thing, Mr. Chairman? Now he's been rearrested and guess what?

06:06This guy who's now been rearrested, there is imminent danger that this inmate will do

06:11injury to himself and to others and presents a safety, a threat to safety, security, and good

06:16order of the facility so he's not permitted to leave his cell. So this guy is not even allowed

06:21out of his cell, but they let him out on the street a few months ago. That's how ridiculous this is.

06:26When he does leave his cell, let me go back to his country under our orders and report.

06:29Chair recognizes Mr. Mfume and I'll give you an extra minute.

06:32Mr. Chairman, I've got two unanimous

06:37consent requests that I hope would not count against my time.

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