New York is drawing a hard line against expanded federal immigration enforcement while also grappling with rising energy costs, climate mandates, and household affordability, according to comments Gov. Kathy Hochul made in two wide-ranging interviews Monday.
Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and later at a Times Union fireside chat, Hochul framed her agenda as a defense of public safety, civil rights, and economic stability, while sharply criticizing federal actions under the Trump administration.
Limiting local cooperation with ICE
A central focus of both interviews was Hochul’s proposal to ban so-called 287(g) agreements, which allow local law enforcement to formally cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“But in New York, we know who we are and I have to stand up and forbid these agreements,” Hochul said on “Morning Joe.” “We are not saying that local police cannot cooperate when there’s a criminal investigation… We want to protect our communities.”
She argued the agreements pull local officers away from their core duties and damage trust between police and immigrant communities. Hochul said she wants local law enforcement focused on “catching criminals in the streets, stopping gun trafficking, stopping the flow of drugs,” not civil immigration enforcement.
At the Times Union event, she described recent ICE activity as “heartbreaking” and said the country feels “unrecognizable,” recounting images of people calling police for protection from federal agents.
“We have American citizens having to call police to protect them against federal law enforcement in America,” she said.
Hochul said her proposals would also bar immigration enforcement from sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals, houses of worship, daycare centers, and homes without a judicial warrant. She said New York should also allow individuals to sue if federal agents violate their constitutional rights.
“This is not public safety,” she said earlier. “This is a public abuse of power.”
Law enforcement backing, emotional stories
Hochul emphasized that many law enforcement leaders support her approach. She pointed to appearances alongside police commissioners, sheriffs, and district attorneys, saying they want officers protecting communities, “not being weaponized to turn against the people that they’re trying to build trust with.”
She also shared emotional stories of families affected by immigration enforcement, including an 11-year-old boy whose father was detained after being stopped by local police deputized under a federal agreement.
“You can’t look into that little boy’s eyes… and not have a heart,” Hochul said. “This is New York. We’re better than that.”
Energy bills and an “all-of-the-above” strategy
At the Times Union chat, Hochul spent significant time on utility costs and energy policy, calling affordability one of the biggest pressures facing families.
“I have to fight for the people who are paying that bill and not sure they’re going to be able to,” she said, warning about the risk of power shutoffs during winter.
She pointed to state actions to push down utility rate requests, help low-income residents pay bills through programs like Empower+ New York, and invest $83 million to help households reduce energy use.
Hochul described an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that includes renewables, hydropower, and an aggressive expansion of nuclear energy. She said New York plans to build more nuclear capacity than the rest of the country has in decades, calling it critical to reliability and long-term cost control.
“This is not your grandma and grandpa’s nuclear,” she said, describing smaller, modern reactors and strong interest from host communities.
She also blamed federal actions for complicating the state’s climate goals, citing delays to offshore wind projects and the shutdown of renewable incentives.
“If you take away the financial incentives for wind and solar, they’re not going to build wind and solar,” she said.
Budget pressures and affordability
Despite projections of higher-than-expected state revenue, Hochul said federal funding cuts and rising costs leave little room to spare. She highlighted new investments in childcare, efforts to shore up reserves, and the challenge of offsetting Medicaid losses.
Hochul defended last year’s inflation rebate checks, saying they made a real difference for families, even as she acknowledged similar payments may not be possible this year.
“People needed to have a little more money back in their pockets, and we were able to deliver that,” she said.
Campaign, moderation, and governing style
Looking ahead to her reelection campaign, Hochul described herself as a moderate who resists political extremes and prioritizes governing over partisan fights.
“I’ve always governed from this middle place,” she said. “You should be fighting for [people] and not each other.”
Asked whether this could be her final term, Hochul answered simply: “No.” She said she remains energized by the job and sees it as the best way to fight for people struggling with everyday costs.
“This is the highest honor of my life,” she said. “I cherish this.”
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