Democratic lawmakers in Albany are demanding reforms to hold U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents accountable for their actions after a federal officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis \u2014 and said Thursday they’re ready for the legal consequences.<\/p>\n
Video captured by bystanders Wednesday shows two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers approaching the SUV of Renee Good after she drove her Honda Pilot into the middle of a road.<\/p>\n
One officer fatally shot Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in the face after she started to pull her vehicle forward. It’s unclear from the footage if the vehicle made contact with the officer.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers held an emergency rally today outside the federal courthouse in Albany on Thursday about the incident.<\/p>\n
“We are stepping into very dangerous territory in this country,” state Sen. Pat Fahy said. “This is not normal. This is not who we are. This is America. This is not acceptable. Nothing about this is normal.”<\/p>\n
Good\u2019s death has escalated large-city immigration enforcement operations ordered by President Donald Trump. Tensions are rising over the enforcement actions, spurring anti-ICE protests in major cities like New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.<\/p>\n
Fahy sponsors a bill to ban federal immigration agents from wearing masks or face coverings, known as the Mandating End of Lawless Tactics or MELT Act.<\/p>\n
Dozens of anti-ICE activists rallied for the bill outside the courthouse in Albany.<\/p>\n
“We need immigration reform,” the senator said. “We’ve needed it for years.”<\/p>\n
Democratic lawmakers are also pushing for a public online dashboard with data about ICE activity across the state \u2014 dubbed the Immigration Enforcement RADAR (Reporting of Arrests, Detentions, Actions, and Removals) Act.<\/p>\n
They back including the policy changes included in the upcoming budget due April 1.<\/p>\n
New Yorkers across the state are rightfully looking for protection, accountability and safety from their leaders,” said Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, D-Albany.<\/p>\n
Romero sponsors a bill to create a cause of action to allow people to sue when their constitutional rights have been violated by a government official, or someone acting under government authority, like immigration agents.<\/p>\n
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday said she backs both proposals, and plans to include a version of them in her State of the State agenda to be released Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“I am so sickened as a mom that there’s a child that woke up yesterday, a 6-year-old, who had a loving mother and goes to bed an orphan,” Hochul said Thursday morning on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.” “And I’m telling you, I’m going to stand up to defend rights, at least what I can do in New York. And next week, when I’m announcing my State of the State address, I am putting in language that I want to get through that says that New Yorkers who’ve had their constitutional rights denied by an ICE agent… let’s start holding these people accountable.”<\/p>\n
Gov. Hochul said she and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have regular conversations with President Trump to avoid sending more ICE agents and the National Guard to the city.<\/p>\n
Many Republican lawmakers are siding with President Trump’s administration that Good intentionally pulled her vehicle to block the road, which prevented ICE from upholding federal law and maintaining public safety.<\/p>\n
“Our conference stands with law enforcement and supports the efforts by federal authorities to uphold our laws and secure our communities,” Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said in a statement. “These types of bills will only fuel the vicious anti-law enforcement rhetoric coming from the left and make law enforcement\u2019s already dangerous job even more difficult.”<\/p>\n
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said every aspect of the situation is upsetting, and lawmakers should wait for an investigation before taking action.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is still a great deal we don\u2019t know about the incident and hopefully more information will be forthcoming,” Barclay said Thursday. “Until that time, it\u2019s dangerous to rush to judgment without having all the facts. And it\u2019s unwise to use this tragedy as a reason to force through legislation that creates more potential problems.\u201d<\/p>\n
Romero and Fahy said they’re not afraid of litigation about their legislation superseding federal policy, nor do they fear Trump retaliating against New York.<\/p>\n
“We think they’ll pass legal muster \u2014 we are always working with lawyers, including constitutional ones,” Fahy said. “So there are paths forward on each of these bills. It’s just a matter of how much they will be challenged and how aggressive we can be. But we think we’ve got it.”<\/p>\n