Republican pols are lining up to demand that the rowdy migrants nabbed in a caught-on-camera attack on two NYPD cops in Times Square get deported — as Gov. Kathy Hochul said it’s something that should certainly be “looked at.”
The Democratic governor, speaking to reporters after announcing the nomination of Steven G. James as New York State Police Superintendent on Wednesday, was asked about the shocking beatdown and whether the asylum-seeking suspects should be deported.
“I think that’s actually something that should be looked at,” Hochul replied.
“I mean, if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York and they’re not here legally, it’s definitely worth checking into,” she said.
“These are law enforcement officers who should never under any circumstances be subjected to physical assault,” Hochul added. “It’s wrong on all accounts and I’m looking to judges and prosecutors to do the right thing.”
Footage of the incident on West 42nd Street shows an NYPD officer and lieutenant telling a group of migrants to move along before a scuffle breaks out. The officers sustained kicks and punches as they attempted to wrestle some of the individuals to the ground.
Hochul wasn’t the only elected official weighing in on the deportation question.
“That law that’s prohibiting cooperation between NYPD and federal immigration enforcement — it just has to stop,” Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) told The Post.
“Republicans, Independents, Democrats should at least be able to agree that if you’re in this city, and you’re committing a crime, you have given up any opportunity to ever become a part of this citizenry, period.” Malliotakis added.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella agreed and said the Big Apple should not have been surprised by the vicious migrant mob attack on two of New York’s Finest.
“This is the fruit of the poisonous tree,” Fossella said.
“We warned more than a year ago about letting all these migrants in. Now we’re getting the worst of the worst,” he added. “I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t deport these individuals immediately for assaulting our police officers.
“We shouldn’t spend one more penny on them. Now they have a license to attack our police officers? Is this the world we created?”
The Big Apple’s “sanctuary city” status, makes it illegal to notify US Immigration and Customs Enforcement about criminal defendants, such as those charged in the Midtown cop-beating.
But the city doesn’t provide sanctuary from prosecution for crimes including: homicide, manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and human and sex trafficking, legal experts said.
“New York City does not provide sanctuary from prosecution from various violent felonies,” said defense attorney Michael Bachner, a former Manhattan prosecutor.
“Assaulting an officer, that is the type of offense that I believe would 100% be subject to deportation,” Bachner said. “The immigration courts, they don’t look kindly on assaulting law enforcement officials.”
Once their case concludes — with either a plea, conviction or charges dropped — an “immigration hold” would typically be placed on them and they would be subject to deportation after serving out their sentence, he added.
“They should then be transported to an immigration facility where they would be subject to immigration court and subject to removal from the country,” Bachner said.
Police busted five men – Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, Wilson Juarez, 21, Jhoan Boada, 22, and Yorman Reveron, 24 — for the Times Square attack.
All of them were arraigned on charges of second-degree assault on a police officer and obstruction of governmental administration — and released without bail.
Three suspects are still being sought, cops said Wednesday.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office acknowledged it did not request bail for the accused cop-beaters, but said prosecutors are still investigating and viewing new video footage of the attack.
A spokesperson for Hochul said her office has communicated with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office about the attack.
“Under existing State law, assaulting a police officer is a bail eligible crime and it’s critical that district attorneys hold offenders accountable,” the Hochul spokesperson told The Post.
Hochul said she believes the lenient bail reform measures passed by Democratic lawmakers in Albany since 2019 are working overall — but is “not satisfied at all” with the handling of the attack.
“That situation is abhorrent to me,” she said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain, also condemned the attack — albeit with a more lukewarm response — and called for the accused migrant thugs to be prosecuted.
“The men and women of the NYPD put their lives on the line every single day, working tirelessly to keep us and our streets safe,” a spokesperson for the mayor told The Post.
“Violence — of any kind, and no less against our officers— is unacceptable and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
More than 170,000 migrants from the US border have flooded the five boroughs since the spring of 2022 seeking asylum, with more than 67,000 still housed in more than 200 city shelters and hotels. Over the past year, a handful have been tied to crimes including rape, murder and pickpocketing.
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