Donald Trump criticizes Governor Hochul over New York immigration enforcement

President Donald Trump has criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul, labeling her ‘grossly incompetent’ following reports regarding the release of criminal non-citizens. Trump claimed via Truth Social that Hochul recently released 7,000 ‘hard core criminals’ onto the streets, urging voters to remove her from office.

Data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicates that 6,947 criminal illegal aliens were released by New York jurisdictions between January 20 and December 1, 2025, after local authorities did not honor ICE detainers. The DHS report noted that these individuals were involved in various offenses, including 29 homicides and 2,509 assaults.

Governor Hochul’s press office responded by disputing Trump’s characterization, noting that the releases occurred over the course of the year rather than being a single recent event. The dispute stems from New York’s sanctuary policies and the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which limits the ability of state and local agencies to participate in federal immigration enforcement and requires certain law enforcement agencies to unwind agreements with ICE.