Hochul Dodges When Pressed on Victims of Illegal Immigrant Crime: "Will You Apologize?"

Bruce Blakeman Presses Kathy Hochul to Apologize to Families of Victims Killed by Illegal Immigrants, but Governor Points to ICE-Related Deaths

When Hochul is asked to apologize to the families of people killed by illegal immigrants, he is transferred to ICE

Hochul criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Blakeman asked him to apologize to the families of people killed by illegal immigrants during the Oct. 13 debate.

After Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman confronted her during Tuesday night's gubernatorial debate, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul refused to directly apologize to the families of people killed by illegal immigrants, instead shifting the conversation to Americans killed by federal immigration agents.

Looking directly at Hochul as he brought up several victims, Blakeman asked what he wanted to say to families who would "never get to sit down to another Thanksgiving dinner, never get to open their presents on their Christmas tree."

"Would you apologize to them and please return the calls from Sheridan Gorman's parents to talk to you about your asylum policy?" he said

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Jose Medina Medina, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, faces charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Sheridan Gorman, an 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student from Yorktown, New York, as he walked with friends near campus late at night. His death has fueled calls for change from his parents, who have targeted asylum policies that limit cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE.

In response, Hochuloy called all crimes "heartbreaking" and added: "I hate all crimes, regardless of the perpetrator."

He then said his administration has spent billions to "help law enforcement do their jobs" and reduce crime across the state.

Sheridan Gorman's mother blasts Democratic lawmakers, says she refuses to listen to families of dead Americans.

"We've reduced crime to historic lows, especially violent crimes like shootings and murders, and that wasn't easy," he said. "It took too long. I had to change the rules. I had to allocate more money."

Hochul did not directly respond to Blakeman's request for an apology or his question about returning calls from Gorman's parents. Instead, he singled out Renee Goode and Alex Peretti, who were killed in separate clashes with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January.

"When you talk about ICE, what I find so shocking is that when an American mother was murdered by ICE agents, you said her murder was justified," he replied.

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Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman face off in the only scheduled debate before New York's November gubernatorial election on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in New York. (Anna Connors/New York Times Pool)

He said Blakeman had no answer when asked if Peretti's death was "justified," saying, "I find those answers reprehensible, so you're not going to apologize. I apologize for any pain that's been caused to anybody."

The exchange sparked a wave of social media scrutiny, with critics accusing Hochul of neglecting the victims.

"Crazy! Cathy Hochul can't even apologize to victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens - or promise to return their calls." RNC Research published in X.

"He couldn't care less," radio host Brett Winterbell posted on X.

"Disgusting," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Kristen Cianchi posted on X.

"No apologies," Richard Sementa, executive producer of "The Mark Levin Show," posted on X.

"BOOM! Bruce Blakeman tested Kathy Hochul's immigration policies live. Bruce Blakeman: 'What do you tell their families, Kathy?'" Victims' families want answers, and Hochul still hasn't.

Voters will decide between Hochul and Blakeman in the upcoming November election to determine who will serve as New York's governor.

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