On May 30, 2026, Governor Ho Chu signed a bill aimed at protecting immigrants and limiting the over-enforcement of immigration laws by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She stated that while the federal government promised to target dangerous criminals, in reality, enforcement actions expanded to include students, working individuals, and immigrants going to court.
In front of a large gathering of representatives from immigrant communities, the governor shared the immigration history of her grandparents. She emphasized the importance of protecting those who come to the country seeking a better life, like her own grandparents who arrived with nothing, seeking opportunities for a better life. She recounted how her grandfather worked as a migrant farmworker in South Dakota due to discrimination against Irish immigrants at the time.
Governor Ho Chu highlighted the need for everyone to have the same rights and opportunities she benefited from through an inclusive system that provided her with public education and paved the way for her achievements today.
She went on to explain the reasons behind the comprehensive plan introduced by New York State. Governor Ho Chu criticized the federal government for initially focusing on targeting the “worst of the worst criminals,” but ultimately expanding enforcement actions to affect students, working parents, and law-abiding individuals including those attending court proceedings.
Governor Ho Chu stated that the budget bill was driven by a desire to uphold the values of inclusivity and social justice that form the foundation of the United States. She emphasized the importance of cherishing and fighting for the country’s principles, based on the legislative initiatives she and other leaders have fought for.
Subsequently, Governor Ho Chu announced and signed a series of bills aimed at protecting immigrants in New York. These bills include measures to refocus local police efforts on combating local crime, prohibit law enforcement officers (ICE) from wearing masks, hold federal law enforcement agencies accountable for constitutional violations, ensure safety in interactions with public officials, safeguard every student’s right to free public education, and prohibit immigration enforcement units from entering sensitive locations.
Governor Ho Chu also addressed another motivation behind her legislation, highlighting the substantial budget of $85 billion allocated to ICE, sourced from local taxpayers. She asserted that ICE will no longer be able to utilize local police, prisons, and resources to carry out civil immigration enforcement, as the responsibility of locally funded police is to ensure community safety, handle traffic incidents, combat retail theft, and prevent domestic violence, rather than enforcing federal government orders.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) strongly criticized Governor Ho Chu’s actions to restrict cooperation between local police and ICE. DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis condemned these policies as forcing federal law enforcement officers to be more present on the streets, thereby “endangering” the safety of New York residents. Bis also accused New York State of choosing to “release violent criminals directly from prisons back into our communities.”