Hochul declines apology to families of victims in NY debate

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declined to directly apologize to the families of individuals killed by illegal immigrants during Tuesday night's gubernatorial debate. Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman confronted her over the issue, prompting Hochul to pivot the discussion toward Americans killed by federal immigration agents.

Blakeman addressed Hochul directly, citing several victims and asking what she had to say to families who would never attend another Thanksgiving dinner or open Christmas presents. He specifically asked if she would apologize and return the phone calls from the parents of Sheridan Gorman to discuss her sanctuary policy. Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student from Yorktown, New York, was fatally shot while walking with friends near her campus. Jose Medina-Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, faces charges related to the shooting. Gorman's parents have publicly criticized sanctuary policies that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Hochul responded by describing all crimes as heartbreaking and stating that she abhors all crimes regardless of the perpetrator. She asserted that her administration has spent billions to help law enforcement do their jobs and reduce crime across the state. The governor claimed that violent crimes such as shootings and murders have been driven down to historic lows, noting that this required changing laws and allocating more money. She did not directly answer Blakeman's request for an apology or his question regarding the Gorman family's calls.

Instead, Hochul raised the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were each killed by federal immigration agents in separate incidents in Minneapolis in January. She accused Blakeman of saying Good's killing was justified when asked about ICE. Hochul stated that she found such answers reprehensible and offered a general apology for any pain that has happened to anyone. She noted that Blakeman did not have an answer when asked if Pretti's death was justified.

The exchange generated significant scrutiny on social media. RNC Research posted on X that Hochul could not even apologize to victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens or promise to return their calls. Radio host Brett Winterble posted that she could not care less, while RNC spokesperson Kristen Cianci described the response as disgusting. Richard Sementa, executive producer of The Mark Levin Show, posted that there was no apology or ownership of sanctuary policies. Conservative influencer Gunther Eagleman stated that Blakeman put Hochul's immigration policies on trial live and that families still have not received answers.

Voters will choose between Hochul and Blakeman in the upcoming November election to determine the next New York governor.