PEARL RIVER – Congressman Mike Lawler has called on every NY-17 Democratic candidate to denounce calls from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, made this week on “The View,” to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and block cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
“This is not an abstract policy debate,” Lawler said. “Ending cooperation with ICE makes our communities more dangerous by allowing repeat offenders, gang members, and violent criminals to slip through the cracks. My Democratic opponents owe voters a clear answer: do they support Mayor Mamdani’s support of abolishing ICE and promoting sanctuary policies that let violent criminals and gang members run freely around New York? Yes or no?”
Lawler specifically mentioned two of his potential opponents in November’s election, Cait Conley and Mike Sacks, and the pair fired back at the incumbent. According to Lawler, at a Clarkstown Democratic Committee candidate forum, Conley suggested “ICE can’t operate without a budget”, and Sacks called to defund ICE.
Conley said she doesn’t “support abolishing ICE.”
“Unlike Mike Lawler, I’ve served in combat zones and spent my career going after people who threaten our safety,” Conley said. “I know the difference between real national security work and political theater. ICE is supposed to be immigration and customs enforcement, but instead it’s been turned into Trump’s personal police force that’s disappearing people off our streets. That’s not making anyone safer. ICE should be going after human traffickers, drug smugglers, and people who truly mean us harm.”
“I support fixing this agency so it does the job it was created to do — keeping us safe without terrorizing our communities and breaking into people’s homes without a proper warrant,” Conley continued. “I’ll gladly denounce Mike Lawler’s political BS and spineless service to this district.”
Sacks did not directly address Mamdani’s comments but ripped into Lawler, who is seeking a third term in Congress.
“New Yorkers deserve leaders who actually care about making our lives safer and more affordable, and securing our democracy’s blessings of liberty and justice for us all,” Sacks said. “What we have instead is a Congressman who peddles lies and false choices to divide us against each other so that we don’t unite against the rich and powerful who bought him to do their bidding. Do we want more of that? It’s a simple yes or no question. And we know the answer. Lawler will lose. And we will win.”
As of this month, according to the White House, nearly 1.9 million illegal aliens have self-deported, and over 675,000 have been removed, over 70% having a conviction or pending criminal charges.
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