Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) is demanding answers from Governor Kathy Hochul following what she described as an incomplete and evasive appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform earlier this month.
In a letter (see below) sent Friday, Tenney called out Hochul for failing to respond to several key questions posed during the June 12 hearing, which focused on the impact of sanctuary state policies. The congresswoman had specifically pressed the governor on the number of undocumented immigrants currently incarcerated in New York State prisons, the financial burden this may pose to taxpayers, and the effects of the state’s so-called “Green Light Law,” which allows undocumented individuals to obtain driver’s licenses.
“Governor Hochul repeatedly dodged questions that are critical to public safety and fiscal accountability,” Tenney said in a statement accompanying the letter. “New Yorkers deserve transparency on the costs and consequences of these policies.”
During the hearing, Hochul pledged to follow up with information, but according to Tenney, no such follow-up has occurred.
The exchange highlights the ongoing tensions between federal lawmakers and state officials over immigration enforcement and state-level sanctuary policies, particularly in states like New York that have adopted more permissive approaches.
Governor Hochul’s office has not yet publicly responded to the letter or the congresswoman’s claims.
The Oversight Committee continues its investigation into how sanctuary policies across the country may affect law enforcement, immigration operations, and state budgets.
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