Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said deporting the group of illegal migrants who allegedly beat two New York City cops is on the table, the New York Post (NYP) reported.
Two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were allegedly beat in Times Square by a group of illegal immigrants, provoking calls for deportation, according to the outlet.
Hochul was reportedly asked Wednesday whether the alleged perpetrators should be deported.
“I think that’s actually something that should be looked at,” Hochul told a reporter when asked, according to the NYP.
“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 reportedly continued. (RELATED: ‘Not In My District’: AOC Blows Off Question About NYC School Shut Down To House Illegal Immigrants)
“These are law enforcement officers who should never under any circumstances be subjected to physical assault,” the governor reportedly said. “It’s wrong on all accounts and I’m looking to judges and prosecutors to do the right thing.”
Video footage released by NYPD Crime Stoppers and posted on Twitter by Collin Rugg appears to show two NYPD officers telling a group of migrants to move on, according to Rugg’s description, before a fight apparently breaks out. Multiple migrants appeared to be punching and kicking the officers down to the ground in the video.
NEW: Migrant mob beats NYPD officers near Times Square, released days later without bail according to the New York Post.
It’s almost as if New York City is *encouraging* people to beat up their officers.
After the beating, police chased down and found the men who were “asylum… pic.twitter.com/IqYg2KhJbs
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 31, 2024
The five alleged perpetrators were later identified as 19-year-old Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19-year-old Kelvin Servita Arocha, 21-year-old Wilson Juarez, 22-year-old Jhoan Boada and 24-year-old Yorman Reveron, according to the NYP.
The illegal migrants were reportedly charged with second-degree assault on a police officer and obstruction of governmental administration, though they did not have to post bail. Three other suspects remain at large, according to police, the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for Hochul told the NYP existing state law makes assaulting an officer a “bail eligible crime” and the state implores the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to “hold offenders accountable.”
The Big Apple has struggled to keep up with the influx of illegal immigrants, with Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams going so far as to kick students out of James Madison High School in Brooklyn for one day in order to house illegal immigrants. Students were forced to undergo remote learning in order for the city to accommodate 2,000 migrants, the school announced.
Adams has also imposed a curfew on several migrant shelters following reports of migrants panhandling city residents for food and money, according to the NYP.