Three Democratic governors are set to testify before the House Oversight Committee next month as they face questions about state policies that inhibit federal immigration enforcement.
The House Oversight Committee said Tuesday that Governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Tim Walz of Minnesota will appear on June 12 to testify about immigration enforcement in their states. As the Trump administration has promised mass deportations, Democratic officials across the country have indicated that they will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens. Former President Biden created the worst border crisis in U.S. history and allowed criminal illegal aliens to flood our communities. President Trump has ended this crisis and now we have the most secure borders in decades,&#8221; House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) said.
&#8220;The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable.&#8221;
Illinois has been a sanctuary state <a href="https://www.fairus.org/issue/do-you-live-1-11-sanctuary-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since</a> 2017, when then-Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed the Illinois Trust Act, which blocked local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement actions. In New York, state agencies are not allowed to work with ICE, and a state court ruled that neither state nor local law enforcement should hold illegal immigrants at ICE&#8217;s request.
Legislation to make Minnesota a sanctuary state has failed in recent years despite pushes from Walz and the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
&#8220;My position on Minnesota becoming a sanctuary state boils down to who has the responsibility for enforcing immigration laws,&#8221; Walz <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/jeff-johnson-tim-walz-minnesota-sanctuary-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2018. &#8220;The role of law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws, not federal immigration laws, and I strongly believe that they should not do so.&#8221;
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), there are currently eleven &#8220;sanctuary states,&#8221; including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, in addition to the District of Columbia.
The hearing with the governors follows one in April, where the House Oversight Committee also questioned the mayors of sanctuary cities like Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York.

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

Lawmakers Demand Dem Governors Explain ‘Reckless’ Policies Impeding Trump’s Immigration Agenda

Congress

House Oversight Committee

Illegal Immigation

Illinois

James Comer

JB Pritzker

Kathy Hochul

Minnesota

New York

Politics

Tim Walz

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is reportedly weighing a run for New York governor and signaled that she could jump into the race with a statement on Wednesday blasting New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Stefanik, who served as House Republican Conference chair from 2021 to 2025, steadily rose through the ranks of the GOP after first winning her seat in 2014. The Republican Congresswoman has been encouraged to run for governor by New York Republicans and some of Trump&#8217;s allies, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/16/stefanik-considering-run-for-governor-of-new-york-00293028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing &#8220;two people familiar with her thinking.&#8221; On Wednesday, Stefanik <a href="https://x.com/EliseStefanik/status/1912565080849555603" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Hochul, pointing to new <a href="https://maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/the-state-of-new-york-april-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> from Marist that shows the Democratic governor&#8217;s approval rating at 39%.
&#8220;This latest bombshell polling proves what every New Yorker already knows: that we must FIRE Kathy Hochul in 2026 to SAVE NEW YORK,&#8221; Stefanik wrote. &#8220;Hochul is the Worst Governor in America and it’s not even close.&#8221;
&#8220;Her incompetence, corruption, and radical failed Far Left policies have destroyed our great state causing businesses and families to flee from crushing high taxes, out of control regulations, inept fiscal mismanagement, wide open border sanctuary city policies putting illegals first and NYers last, and an out of control crime crisis due to Democrats’ failed bail reform defund the police policies,&#8221; Stefanik added. &#8220;This polling shows that we can WIN &amp; SAVE NEW YORK.&#8221;
The Marist poll also showed that 57% of New Yorkers &#8220;do not want Hochul to run for re-election in 2026,&#8221; a number that includes 40% of Democrats. Sixty-four percent of the state&#8217;s voters say that New York&#8217;s economy is deteriorating, which is a big spike from the 51% who said the same a year ago.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114347490565859534" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> Stefanik in an early morning Truth Social post on Wednesday, writing without context, &#8220;Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!&#8221;
Stefanik, who has been a loyal supporter of Trump, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-pulls-stefanik-nomination-united-nations-ambassador" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tapped</a> by the president to serve as U.N. ambassador in the new Trump administration, but her nomination was pulled as Trump deemed it more important to keep her in the House and &#8220;maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.&#8221; Stefanik&#8217;s 21st Congressional District is a competitive area, and Democrats held the seat for more than 20 straight years before Stefanik took it back for the GOP.
Hochul, who took over after former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations in 2021, has already declared her candidacy for 2026. Former Democratic Rep. Jamaal &#8220;fire alarm&#8221; Bowman has <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/12/13/i-wish-i-didn-t-pull-that-damn-fire-alarm---rep--bowman-reflects-on-time-in-congress--primary-loss" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hinted</a> at a potential run for governor, as has Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/22/torres-hochul-governor-campaign-00191249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ritchie Torres</a>.
If Stefanik jumps into the race, she would likely be the leading Republican candidate. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is also reportedly mulling a run.

Elise Stefanik

‘We Must FIRE Kathy Hochul’: Rising Republican Star Signals Run For NY Governor

2026 Midterms

Donald Trump

Republican Party

New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is backing away from her promise to ban some 2,000 correctional officers from ever working for New York State again after numerous county officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-counties-defying-dem-governor-after-she-fired-corrections-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed to defy her order</a>.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-counties-defying-dem-governor-after-she-fired-corrections-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> signed by Hochul on March 10 took aim at the thousands of officers who were continuing to strike over unsafe conditions in New York prisons, largely due to the Democrat-backed the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (<a href="https://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&amp;leg_video=&amp;bn=A02500&amp;term=2019&amp;Summary=Y&amp;Actions=Y&amp;Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&amp;Floor%26nbspVotes=Y&amp;Memo=Y&amp;Text=Y">HALT</a>). The legislation severely limits the use of &#8220;special housing unit&#8221; separation, which replaced solitary confinement.
As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-counties-defying-dem-governor-after-she-fired-corrections-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, officials in Chemung County, Oneida County, and Rensselaer County reacted quickly, indicating that they would outright defy the order or move to challenge it legally to regain control of their hiring processes. Hochul has also received backlash from the New York State Sheriffs&#8217; Association.
Hochul&#8217;s administration has reportedly backed away from her order, which is set to expire on April 9. <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/hochul-retreats-lifetime-peace-officer-ban-20235479.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to the Times Union, Hochul&#8217;s office was set to seek passage of a bill permanently banning the former officers from becoming re-certified as peace officers. However, sources close to the governor&#8217;s office say Hochul has walked back the threat, and former officers will likely be able to pursue re-certification as peace officers, which would allow them to work at county jails, the report said. Hochul, though, has said publicly that she won&#8217;t allow fired officers to return to work for a state agency.
Contributing to the apparent walk-back was Chemung County issuing a lawsuit earlier this month over the order, arguing that the order is unlawful. “We are taking this action to protect our ability to staff our jail with experienced personnel and to stand against unconstitutional overreach,” Sheriff William Schrom <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/chemung-county-sues-governor-hochul-192150636.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
In Oneida County, the Board of Legislators approved a resolution allowing them to sue New York State over Hochul’s order. County Executive Anthony Picente said the resolution was approved because lawmakers believe Hochul overstepped, Spectrum News <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2025/03/12/county-accuses-hochul-of-overstepping-in-co-executive-order?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Executive order no. 47.3 is an abuse of the governor’s authority and discretion, and unlawfully intrudes upon the county’s powers of home rule,” Picente said.
Additionally, Steve McLaughlin, who serves as county executive for Rensselaer County, said he would outright defy the order, <a href="https://x.com/SteveMcNY/status/1899510158708838650" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> it “reprehensible and vicious.”
“Just when you think Hochul can’t get worse, she finds a way,” he posted to X, captioning the executive order signed by Hochul. “Preventing Corrections Officers from seeking employment with counties is reprehensible and vicious but that’s exactly who Kathy Hochul is.”
“Like I do with everything else regarding her idiotic statements and actions, I will ignore this as well,” he said. “I will hire as many as I can here in #RensselaerCounty and I dare you to sue me and the individual CO’s [sic] as they seek gainful employment Hochul.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-counties-defying-dem-governor-after-she-fired-corrections-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NY Counties Defying Dem Governor After She Fired Corrections Officers</a>

New York Governor Calls On Google And Meta To Stop Promoting Illicit Marijuana Shops

Hochul Backs Down After NY Counties Vow To Defy Order Banning Fired Officers From Work

Hochul Backs Down After NY Counties Vow to Defy Order Banning Fired Officers From Work

General

Prisons

Several counties in New York have moved to defy Governor Kathy Hochul&#8217;s order that bans the some 2,000 correctional officers she recently fired from ever working for the state again.
Hochul fired the officers for continuing to strike over the dangerous conditions inside understaffed prisons across the state. The following day, in a widely criticized move, she signed an executive order banning them from future work in New York, including even county governments.
Officials in Chemung County, Oneida County, and Rensselaer County have all indicated that they will outright defy the order or move to challenge it legally to regain control of their hiring processes.
Chemung County has issued a lawsuit this past week over the action, arguing that the order is unlawful. “We are taking this action to protect our ability to staff our jail with experienced personnel and to stand against unconstitutional overreach,” Sheriff William Schrom <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/chemung-county-sues-governor-hochul-192150636.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
In Oneida County, the Board of Legislators approved a resolution allowing them to sue New York state over Hochul&#8217;s order. County Executive Anthony Picente said the resolution was approved because lawmakers believe Hochul overstepped, Spectrum News <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2025/03/12/county-accuses-hochul-of-overstepping-in-co-executive-order?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“Executive order no. 47.3 is an abuse of the governor&#8217;s authority and discretion, and unlawfully intrudes upon the county’s powers of home rule,” Picente said.
Steve McLaughlin, who serves as county executive for Rensselaer County, said he would outright defy the order, <a href="https://x.com/SteveMcNY/status/1899510158708838650" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> it “reprehensible and vicious.”
“Just when you think Hochul can’t get worse, she finds a way,” he posted to X, captioning the executive order signed by Hochul. “Preventing Corrections Officers from seeking employment with counties is reprehensible and vicious but that’s exactly who Kathy Hochul is.”
“Like I do with everything else regarding her idiotic statements and actions, I will ignore this as well,” he said. “I will hire as many as I can here in #RensselaerCounty and I dare you to sue me and the individual CO’s as they seek gainful employment Hochul.”
Hochul&#8217;s decision to fire these officers in the first place has raised alarm, considering the understaffing and low recruitment already plaguing New York prisons across the state. Even before the strike started last month, there were about 2,000 vacant positions inside the prison system.
Hochul has National Guard members &#8212; without proper training &#8212; helping to man the prisons, with no end-date in sight. The governor activated thousands of members on the second day of the strike, and their inclusion has been controversial from the start. In some cases, they’ve been sleeping on gym floors and members have leaked photos of their rough conditions.
Moreover, State Sen. Daniel Stec (R) said that these guardsmen were “activated on state orders,” which makes them ineligible for care from Veterans Affairs if they were to get injured.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vindictive-tyrant-hochul-bars-corrections-officers-she-fired-from-ever-working-for-new-york-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Vindictive Tyrant’: Hochul Bars Corrections Officers She Fired From Ever Working For New York Again</a>

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Counties Defying Dem Governor After She Fired Corrections Officers

Lawsuit

Prison

U.S.

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul (NY) signed an executive order on Tuesday, barring the thousands of correctional officers she fired from ever working for the New York government again, including even for counties.
As covered by The Daily Wire, about 15,000 officers began striking and protesting on February 17, arguing that prisons across the state have become totally unsafe for inmates and workers following the implementation of the Democrat-backed HALT Act. Hochul used aggressive tactics against them, including terminating health care coverage for some 5,300 officers and their dependents, and, eventually, firing 2,000 officers and sergeants on Monday.  
Steve McLaughlin, who serves as county executive for Rensselaer County, <a href="https://x.com/SteveMcNY/status/1899510158708838650" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the order &#8220;reprehensible and vicious.&#8221;
&#8220;Just when you think Hochul can&#8217;t get worse, she finds a way,&#8221; he posted to X, captioning the executive order signed by Hochul. &#8220;Preventing Corrections Officers from seeking employment with counties is reprehensible and vicious but that&#8217;s exactly who Kathy Hochul is.&#8221;
McLaughlin went on to say that he&#8217;ll ignore Hochul&#8217;s order, which he argued was likely unconstitutional.
&#8220;Like I do with everything else regarding her idiotic statements and actions, I will ignore this as well,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I will hire as many as I can here in <a class="css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" role="link" href="https://x.com/hashtag/RensselaerCounty?src=hashtag_click">#RensselaerCounty</a> and I dare you to sue me and the individual CO&#8217;s as they seek gainful employment Hochul.&#8221;
Additionally, New York journalist and radio host Bob Lonsberry called the governor a &#8220;hateful, vindictive tyrant&#8221; over her actions.
&#8220;Kathy Hochul is a hateful, vindictive tyrant,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/BobLonsberry/status/1899909428016468255" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;If you don’t believe me, ask the 2,000 prison guards whose jobs and careers she destroyed this week. Better yet, ask their spouses and children. Ask the pregnant women who’ve lost their healthcare, the kids who will lose their homes and schools, the people who’ve lost their pensions and will be impoverished in their last days.&#8221;
Lonsberry added that Hochul banned the now-fired striking officers from ever working for the state after &#8220;seeing that sheriffs and police chiefs had shown an interest in hiring the former prison guards.&#8221;
Hochul&#8217;s decision to fire the striking officers has also raised alarm, especially considering the understaffing and low recruitment already plaguing New York prisons across the state. Even before the strike started, there were about 2,000 vacant positions inside the prison system. 
Currently, Hochul has National Guard members helping to man the prisons, with no end-date in sight. The governor activated thousands of members on the second day of the strike, and their inclusion has been controversial from the start. In some cases, they’ve been sleeping on gym floors and members have leaked photos of their rough conditions. 
Further, NY State Sen. Rob Ortt (R) has expressed <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hochul-endangering-national-guard-indefinite-prison-duty-amid-corrections-strike-state-lawmaker?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concern</a> about their safety, noting that these guardsmen are &#8220;walking among criminals&#8221; without any proper training. State Sen. Daniel Stec (R) said that these guardsmen were &#8220;activated on state orders,&#8221; which makes them ineligible for care from Veterans Affairs if they were to get injured.

‘Vindictive Tyrant’: Hochul Bars Corrections Officers She Fired From Ever Working For New York Again

New York Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday fired thousands of officers for continuing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hochul-presser-spirals-with-arrest-threats-for-striking-officers-catch-every-single-one-of-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strike</a> over unsafe work conditions, including complaints about days-long shifts and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-leaked-footage-shows-how-violent-ny-prisons-have-become-since-dems-halt-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased violence</a> sparked by the implementation of the Democrat-backed Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act.
Hochul terminated some 2,000 officers on Monday for not returning to work following the governor claiming she struck a deal with officers on March 6. Most striking officers, though, refused that deal, and their government-affiliated union, the New York Correction Officers&#8217; Benevolent Association (NYCOBA), said Hochul cut them out of negotiations and only worked with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS).
The March 6 deal, which included a 90-day suspension of the HALT Act and a commitment toward cutting days-long shifts, was largely rejected by the rank and file, with about 8,000 officers continuing to strike last week. In response, Hochul terminated health insurance coverage for more than 5,000 officers and their dependents. This sparked reports of children, pregnant wives, and a mother battling cancer without treatment.
Officers told The Daily Wire that this was why some men and women went back to work; they hated the &#8220;deal&#8221; but decided to risk their own safety and return to the prisons because they couldn&#8217;t afford the health care termination.
Notably, the deal struck on March 6 needed 85% of those on strike to return to work by Monday for it to go into effect and end the strike. DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello admitted on Monday that this threshold was not met, with thousands still on strike. He deemed the strike &#8220;over,&#8221; anyway.
“We are committed to building a dedicated, resilient workforce and attracting the next generation of correctional leaders,” Martuscello said. “We will work to ensure the new department will be safer and more effective for everyone involved.”
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Hochul has had to summon the National Guard to work in dozens of New York prisons during the strike, and thousands of members will have to continue to help since the already-understaffed prisons have been cut by another 2,000 workers.
</div>
</aside>
&#8220;The New York state Department of Corrections fired 2,000 officers yesterday, and was already down 2,000 officers,&#8221; journalist and radio host Bob Lonsberry posted Tuesday morning. &#8220;The last academy class graduated 57 officers and was held in July 2024.&#8221;
&#8220;They will have to graduate 35 academies to replace the 2,000 just fired,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Though the average is two academies a year, if they run the 8-week academy continuously, they can do six academies a year, meaning they can catch up to their dramatically understaffed level of a month ago in six years.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_889653" style="width: 1184px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-889653" class="wp-image-889653 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-6.52.12-AM.png" alt="" width="1174" height="554" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-6.52.12-AM.png 1174w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-6.52.12-AM-300x142.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-6.52.12-AM-1024x483.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-03-11-at-6.52.12-AM-768x362.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1174px) 100vw, 1174px" />Screenshot: Bob Lonsberry on X</div>
NY Rep. <a href="https://x.com/lawler4ny/status/1899275409595719711">Mike Lawler</a> (R) criticized Hochul for the move on X, calling it &#8220;a total failure of leadership.&#8221;
&#8220;Gov. Hochul,⁩ who continues to use taxpayer money to provide free housing, clothing, food, education, and healthcare to illegal immigrants, just fired over 2,000 Corrections Officers and took away their healthcare,&#8221; he posted. 
Another NY representative, Nick Langworthy, <a href="https://x.com/RepLangworthy/status/1898131040830734456" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> for a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor into Hochul&#8217;s &#8220;harmful labor practices against New York State corrections officers.&#8221;
&#8220;I am calling for a federal investigation by the Department of Labor into Governor Hochul’s harmful labor practices against New York State corrections officers, relating to the suspension of health insurance benefits and excessive mandatory overtime for corrections officers,&#8221; the congressman said. &#8220;I will not stand by while corrections officers are being denied a right to reasonable working conditions and policies to keep them safe.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-cant-get-chemo-after-hochul-cuts-health-insurance-for-correctional-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woman Can’t Get Chemo After Hochul Cuts Health Insurance For Correctional Officers</a>

‘Total Failure Of Leadership’: Hochul Fires Thousands Of Corrections Officers Striking For Safety

Hochul Fires Thousands Of Corrections Officers Striking Over Unsafe Conditions

strike

The wife of a correctional officer in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-leaked-footage-shows-how-violent-ny-prisons-have-become-since-dems-halt-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> was not able to get her chemo treatment for a rare terminal illness last week after Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul terminated the health insurance coverage for thousands of officers and their dependents over the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-corrections-officers-strike-in-ny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ongoing strike</a>.
Hochul has terminated health care for thousands of officers and sergeants so far, though, notably, the Attica Correctional Facility officer whose wife needs chemo was out on family and medical leave (FMLA) to take care of his family following the diagnosis, News10NBC&#8217;s Jennifer Lewke <a href="https://www.whec.com/top-news/news10nbc-investigates-corrections-officer-with-fmla-has-health-insurance-canceled-amid-strike-leaving-wife-without-chemo-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“I get IV infusion therapy in the home a couple of days a month, I also have to get chemo, I’m also on several different daily medications,” the woman, only going by Rachel, said.
News10NBC noted that other officers who were off on pre-approved leave said their health insurance was terminated, too. The Daily Wire has heard from numerous officers who are on strike and have indicated that they can&#8217;t afford to lose their health care for various reasons, including pregnancy.
Officers have said at the outset of the strike that they want a repeal of the Democrat-backed HALT Act, which took effect in 2022. They also don&#8217;t want to work mandated shifts that are sometimes 72 hours long, which they say increases safety risks.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-leaked-footage-shows-how-violent-ny-prisons-have-become-since-dems-halt-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> that the strike is “not about the money,” but about how the “liberal agenda has destroyed our justice system.” They said the HALT Act has made it basically impossible for officers to discipline routine problems inside prisons, putting safety at risk for everyone, including inmates.
Hochul, however, has acted increasingly hostile toward officers. Last week, she started firing officers and terminating health insurance coverage for officers and their dependents retroactively, meaning they’re on the hook for covering health care costs since the strike started, which was February 17.
The governor has also threatened to arrest officers, and said she&#8217;s started proceedings to do just that for hundreds already. 
“They created very unsafe circumstances,&#8221; Hochul <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ny-prison-guard-strike-update-serious-consequences-hochul-warning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> on Tuesday. &#8220;We warned them day after day after day that you’re gonna lose your healthcare, the health care is gone; that people are gonna be arrested, you could be going to jail. You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your income, you’ve lost everything.”
The governor has mobilized 7,000 national guard members, with thousands currently working in the prisons. Numerous national guard members have leaked photos to the press of the cramped and squalid conditions they’ve been subjected to.
Additionally, controversy is starting to brew as the number of deaths inside these prisons start to rack up. Since the strike started, at least <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/nyregion/ny-prison-strike-guards.html">seven</a> people have died; one death has been deemed a suicide and at least one other is under investigation.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-leaked-footage-shows-how-violent-ny-prisons-have-become-since-dems-halt-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Footage Reveals How Violent NY Prisons Have Become Since Dems Passed HALT Act</a>

NY Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks At MTA Board Meeting

Woman Can’t Get Chemo After Hochul Cuts Health Insurance For Correctional Officers

Graphic footage obtained by The Daily Wire appears to showcase how violent New York prisons have become for inmates, correctional officers, and other workers since the Democrat-backed HALT Act took effect in 2022.
A source, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, leaked the alleged footage from Green Haven Correctional Facility, wishing to expose how dangerous conditions are as 15,000 correctional officers and sergeants across the state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-corrections-officers-strike-in-ny">remain on strike</a>.
&#8220;I send this footage to you to help the public understand what it is we face and why we are on strike,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;This is not about money. It’s about how the liberal agenda has destroyed our justice system.&#8221;
As  <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-corrections-officers-strike-in-ny">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, the strike began on February 17, with officers asking for the HALT Act to be repealed and to have other safety measures put into place, including stopping mandated shifts that officers say can sometimes last days at a time.
The footage, the source said, &#8220;shows staff at Green Haven Correctional Facility being attacked and inmates assaulting, even slashing each other’s faces.&#8221;
The video opens up with an inmate slicing the face of a woman who went to the prison to visit the inmate, according to the anonymous source. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
EXCLUSIVE: *Graphic* footage from Green Haven Correctional Facility exposes the violence Corrections Officers are subjected to in NY prisons while <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a> threatens to arrest them for &quot;illegally&quot; striking. She&#39;s more worried about prisoners’ &quot;rights.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/KKY4HEXBFZ">pic.twitter.com/KKY4HEXBFZ</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1895227321935897017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Additionally, footage starting at the 02:09:00 mark appears to show the fatal stabbing of 30-year-old inmate Jarrett Frost, The Daily Wire was told. The <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/midhudsonvalley/police-release-name-inmate-killed-during-fight-green-haven">incident</a> took place in June 2022, months after the HALT Act took effect. 
&#8220;HALT has stripped us of our ability to incentivize good behavior among the inmate population and deter them from attacking us,&#8221; the source added. &#8220;We have been deprived of our authority to control the inmates that we are charged to supervise, are swallowing our pride, and losing our souls in the process.&#8221;
Another segment seems to show a male inmate, who is leaving a shower, being attacked by another inmate. He’s seen violently seizing on the ground, and The Daily Wire is told the victim suffered brain trauma. 
“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” the source said of the footage. 
The Daily Wire reached out to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for comment on Thursday, but has yet to receive a response. 
Democrat <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hochul-presser-spirals-with-arrest-threats-for-striking-officers-catch-every-single-one-of-them">Gov. Kathy Hochul (NY)</a> during a press conference on Tuesday repeatedly denigrated officers for going on strike, saying that she doesn&#8217;t know what officers want from her and blaming them for current safety risks. The governor also confirmed that she’s making legal moves to have striking officers arrested.
“Has anyone been arrested?” a reporter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0GUYp9sfg">asked</a> the governor, to which Hochul responded, “The proceedings have started. I think we have 380 people on the first list through the attorney general’s office and they’re being served by state police as we speak. This is in violation of law.”
The governor suggested that she had state troopers serve papers with the threat of arrest to striking officers as a scare tactic, but since they didn’t back down, she’d continue down the path to having these officers arrested “in batches.”
During the presser, the governor brought up Marcos Gonzalez Soler, who serves as Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, for more details on the legal proceedings. He suggested all 15,000 would be addressed legally if need be.
“We will go to catch every single one of them until they’ve returned to work,” Gonzalez Soler told the media.
A source told The Daily Wire that Hochul&#8217;s administration has been using &#8220;scare tactics&#8221; to try to get officers back to work.
&#8220;Hochul has been aggressive with her scare tactics, having administrative personnel call staff at home, ordering them to return to work,&#8221; the source said. &#8220;Even those on sick leave, worker&#8217;s compensation leave, pre-approved vacation time, and bereavement leave are receiving these phone calls; being told that if they fail to report that they would be considered AWOL, docked two days pay for each shift missed and lose their health insurance.&#8221;
&#8220;Many of us cannot afford to lose our jobs and health insurance, many of us live paycheck to paycheck,&#8221; they continued. &#8220;But in spite of this fact, we cannot continue to face the long mandated hours in violent, unsafe prisons.&#8221;
&#8220;We are losing our families and missing our children grow,&#8221; they said. &#8220;We spend long hours in a horrific environment that destroys our empathy and then we are expected to act normal and hide the nightmare from our families.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hochul-presser-spirals-with-arrest-threats-for-striking-officers-catch-every-single-one-of-them">Hochul Presser Spirals With Arrest Threats For Striking Officers: ‘Catch Every Single One Of Them’</a>

Green Haven

EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Footage Reveals How Violent NY Prisons Have Become Since Dems Passed HALT Act

EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Footage Shows How Violent NY Prisons Have Become Since Dems' HALT Act

New York Democrat Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-corrections-officers-strike-in-ny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy</a> Hochul on Tuesday repeatedly attacked corrections officers across the state for striking over unsafe work conditions and long mandated shifts that officers say can last numerous days at a time.
About 15,000 corrections officers statewide are on strike and protesting over their concerns about safety being ignored for too long, officers say. Specifically, officers have cited Democrat-backed legislation, such as the HALT Act, and the closing of numerous prisons, for creating an unsafe work environment. 
Speaking to the press about the escalating strike, Hochul confirmed that she&#8217;s taking legal moves to have striking officers arrested.
&#8220;Has anyone been arrested?&#8221; a reporter <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW0GUYp9sfg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> the governor, to which she responded, &#8220;The proceedings have started. I think we have 380 people on the first list through the attorney general’s office and they’re being served by state police as we speak. This is in violation of law.”  
Hochul suggested that she had state troopers serve papers with the threat of arrest to striking officers as a scare tactic, but since they didn&#8217;t back down, she&#8217;d continue down the path to having these officers arrested &#8220;in batches.&#8221;
The governor brought up Marcos Gonzalez Soler, who serves as Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, for more details on the legal proceedings. He suggested all 15,000 would be addressed legally if need be.
“We will go to catch every single one of them until they’ve returned to work,&#8221; Gonzalez Soler told the media.
Hochul further claimed that officers are the ones creating safety issues and repeatedly said that she doesn&#8217;t know what striking officers want.
The work stoppage started on February 17, with officers from <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/us-news/2-ny-prisons-thrown-into-chaos-as-corrections-officers-launch-illegal-strike-after-violent-uprising/">two New York prisons</a> striking over unsafe conditions. The movement quickly swelled in support, and now nine out of ten officers across 38 of the state’s 42 prisons are participating. 
The strike has not been sanctioned by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), which is the government-affiliated union for corrections officers, making this a “wildcat strike.” Hochul has repeatedly called the strike “illegal,” citing violation of the Taylor Law. 
The strike was sparked just days after officials locked down the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County due to an inmate uprising, and a <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pamela-helming/statement-senator-helming-doccs-staffing?utm_source=chatgpt.com">memo</a> was circulated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), with Commissioner Dan Martuscello <a href="https://www.wwnytv.com/2025/02/13/memo-70-staffing-ny-prisons-is-new-100/">writing</a> that &#8220;70% of our original staffing model is the new 100%&#8221; and to “identify where we can eliminate and/or realign posts and associated duties.” The DOCCS has since said that the posts referenced in the memo would mainly apply to “vacant positions.”
The governor has deployed 6,500 National Guard members to run the prisons and is working to consolidate inmates due to the lack of coverage. Hochul has ordered the state to stop paying for health insurance for those on strike, and the DOCCS is docking two days of pay for every day an officer remains on strike. 
Mediation between the two sides began on Monday, with a reported offer from the state for two times the hourly rate for overtime, the nixing of that controversial staff-reduction memo, and suspension of certain provisions in the HALT Act. However, the New York State Senate <a href="https://www.mynbc5.com/article/new-york-senate-blocks-halt-act-repeal/63913462">blocked</a> a proposal to repeal the HALT Act on Tuesday.
Officers, though, reportedly want more guarantees for safety and are skeptical of promised concessions due to Hochul’s comments and actions. 
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-corrections-officers-strike-in-ny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything You Need To Know About The Corrections Officers Strike In NY</a>

Hochul Presser Spirals With Arrest Threats For Striking Officers: ‘Catch Every Single One Of Them’

New York corrections officers and sergeants statewide have entered their second week of protesting and striking over unsafe working conditions, which they say have been caused by Democrat prison reform legislation and an unresponsive governor.
Here&#8217;s everything you need to know about the escalating conflict.
When the strike started and what sparked it
The strike started on February 17, with officers from <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/17/us-news/2-ny-prisons-thrown-into-chaos-as-corrections-officers-launch-illegal-strike-after-violent-uprising/">two New York prisons</a> striking over unsafe conditions. The movement swelled in support, and now thousands of officers and sergeants from <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/corrections-officers-strike-enters-second-week-amid-state-mediation-efforts-prison-new-york-state-protest#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">38 of the state&#8217;s 42 prisons</a> are participating in the strike. 
Notably, the strike has not been sanctioned by the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), which is the government-affiliated union for correction officers, making this a &#8220;wildcat strike.” The union, though, is currently working to <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/correction-officers-stage-unsanctioned-strike-two-20171711.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com">negotiate</a> with the state for officers. 
As for the timing of the strike, officers say it’s a long-overdue reaction to Democrat-backed prison reform legislation and Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul and her predecessor, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, ignoring their complaints about safety and mandated work shifts that can sometimes <a href="https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/2/statement-on-correctional-officers-facing-grave-danger-at-new-york-state-prisons?utm_source=chatgpt.com">exceed 48 hours at a time</a>, <a href="https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/2/statement-on-correctional-officers-facing-grave-danger-at-new-york-state-prisons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/correctional-officer-speaks-out-following-a-77-hour-work-week-during-a-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officers</a>. 
Additionally, days before the strike, officials locked down the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County due to an inmate uprising. There was also a <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pamela-helming/statement-senator-helming-doccs-staffing?utm_source=chatgpt.com">memo</a> circulated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) advising prison superintendents &#8220;that 70% of DOCCS’ original staffing model is the new 100%.” DOCCS has since claimed that the memo was partly referencing &#8220;vacant positions.&#8221; 
What the striking officers are demanding
First and foremost, officers want prison reform legislation called the &#8220;Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement&#8221; Act, or the HALT Act, repealed. The legislation went into effect in 2022 and mandates what proponents say are “more humane alternatives” to solitary confinement, while also limiting which inmates can be placed in solitary at all. 
Officers and their supporters say the legislation hasn&#8217;t worked; it’s made prisons less safe for inmates, officers, and others who work in prisons, including maintenance, nurses, and social workers. They’ve <a href="https://x.com/WillABarclay/status/1893032059087548897">cited</a> DOCCS stats, saying that since the HALT ACT was implemented, there’s been a 169% increase in inmate-on-inmate assaults, a 76% rise in inmate-on-staff assaults, and a 32% bump in contraband cases.
Currently, parts of the HALT Act are <a href="https://www.corrections1.com/officer-safety/n-y-suspends-parts-of-halt-act-as-corrections-officers-strike">suspended</a> due to the ongoing strike. 
What officers and supporters are saying 
While most officers will not speak directly to the media, there are retired officers participating in protests and expressing their frustrations. For example, Suzanne Furman retired months ago as a sergeant and told CBS that the job has become far more dangerous than the public knows. 
&#8220;You go to work and you don&#8217;t know if you&#8217;re gonna go home, and that&#8217;s a true statement,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-prison-guard-strike-day-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;The general public does not know how dangerous this job has become.”
The HALT Act and other so-called prison reform policies have created an unsafe environment, which has, in turn, crushed recruitment efforts, officers say. The shortage has forced COs &#8212; including those who have put substantial time into the system and their pensions &#8212; to work long hours, which further contributes to safety issues.  
One corrections officer, who did not disclose a name, <a href="https://13wham.com/news/local/correctional-officer-speaks-out-following-a-77-hour-work-week-during-a-lockdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> local news station 13WHAM that their shift started on Monday, but they were not relieved until four days later.
&#8220;I was inside for 77 hours,&#8221; the officer said. &#8220;Then I came out and I&#8217;m really struggling mentally, from everything that happened, and especially the way the state implemented everything.&#8221;
&#8220;You just expect people to keep working insane hours,&#8221; the officer added.
Some fed-up officers are speaking out on public message boards. A woman named <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarah.tompkins.927/posts/pfbid02b2Hez3iRAc47e7MzBzhBkUJLj7bpGcvjKaTLXrDNWhveydTtMyhkyR3ux2stx7hEl">Sarah Tompkins</a> alleges that while working at Green Haven Correctional Facility last year, an inmate tackled her to the floor and ripped out her hair. She provided photos of her injuries and said the inmate was only hit with harassment in the second degree, which is a violation, not a crime. 
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsarah.tompkins.927%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0WzgwWEWrVbYtefH2riWnXvAZwJcio7vEpJp52aaEZi4aGDb1ootuGbwXqpyRC2pXl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="698" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
A male <a href="https://www.facebook.com/young.vee.7/posts/pfbid02bqaMjoWq9jonSseqWD8odqGc5kZ1E2f3bPp3kqUBdJvJZ3yCSVSQ8Cj6XqSF1p6Yl">officer</a> also shared photos of his injuries that allegedly occurred on the job and wrote, “I got punch[ed] in the face 3 times in a 30 day span.” 
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Another person <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mikeashley24/posts/pfbid02HwrwmHfRd67Czm8SijGV1BajyEKGqAx4exKwN3pgsSWF7K19gEzMLbTrfU7opjHZl">shared a video</a> of an officer being attacked by an inmate. &#8220;This is an inmate attempting to slice an officer’s throat and kill him. K I L L H I M. Not injure him, not strike him, and not just cut him,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;KILL HIM!&#8221;
Republican state senator Pamala Helming <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pamela-helming/statement-senator-helming-doccs-staffing?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> that earlier this month, a female officer at Groveland Correctional Facility was sitting at her desk when an inmate attacked her; she was choked, punched, and kicked in the face. 
How has Gov. Kathy Hochul reacted? 
Gov. Hochul has been very forceful with striking officers, telling them to “do your job” and calling the strike illegal. She even <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/19/us-news/ny-prison-guards-ordered-to-end-illegal-strikes-after-kathy-hochul-files-suit/">sued</a> striking officers to get them to report back to work, citing a violation of the “Taylor Law,&#8221; though some supporters of the officers say there is a provision about safety that makes the strike lawful.
Over the weekend, in relation to Hochul&#8217;s suit, the administration directed state troopers to serve papers on striking officers, which threatened them with arrest if they didn’t show up to court this week and subsequently return to work. 
She’s also working for the state to stop paying for health insurance coverage for those on strike. They’ll have to cover their entire share of their health insurance premium, which can be hundreds or thousands of dollars more a month. And if an officer can’t cover it, their insurance will be terminated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hochul administration tells striking correctional officers the state is suspending participation in their health insurance, and the spineless union goes along with it, telling members they may lose coverage for their families. <a href="https://t.co/2ENb1Z0j6m">pic.twitter.com/2ENb1Z0j6m</a>
— Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobLonsberry/status/1893669499099861146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Monday, Hochul activated 6,500 National Guard members to help run the prisons while officers continued to strike. A spokesperson for Hochul said 5,100 members have already been deployed across the state.
Additionally, the DOCCS will be docking two days of pay for every day an officer remains on strike, and Hochul on Thursday moved to give her office the power to shut down up to five state prisons with 90 days of notice. The governor has already <a href="https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2025/02/hochul-seeks-to-expedite-closure-of-five-state-prisons/#:~:text=Last%20year%2C%20the%20governor%20moved,to%20close%20six%20state%20prisons.">closed</a> prisons during her tenure, which officers say is only compounding safety issues. 
Inmate death during strike and other issues 
As the strike continues and officers&#8217; demands go unmet, the death of an inmate is drawing attention. A 61-year-old male inmate named Jonathon Grant was found unresponsive on Saturday at the Auburn Correctional Facility, where National Guard members have been deployed, an NBC affiliate <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york/inmate-death-reported-ny-prison-illegal-guard-strike/6161861/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Grant was serving a 34-to-40-year sentence for rape and burglary.
“Since the strike began, Legal Aid has received dozens of reports from incarcerated clients across New York State about their inability to access critical medical care and essential prescriptions, including blood pressure medication and necessary insulin shots,” The Legal Aid Society said, the report noted. “This tragic incident highlights the dangers posed by the ongoing strike, as staff in over 40 prisons refuse to fulfill their duties.”
There have also been reports that CO recruits who are not yet fully trained have been mandated to go to prisons and work as the strike continues.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This👇🏻 and now governor Hochel is threatening to fire those striking the unsafe work conditions at the prisons. WTF?!?! <a href="https://t.co/uQ0vUmpG8h">pic.twitter.com/uQ0vUmpG8h</a>
— Riverrat328 (@riverrat328) <a href="https://twitter.com/riverrat328/status/1892029798123188227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
National Guard members have allegedly been subjected to &#8220;deplorable conditions&#8221; inside the NY prisons.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Got this from my district office today…<a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a> has subjected our National Guard troops to deplorable conditions as part of her self-created prison crisis. Governor &#8211; suspend HALT &#8211; restore safety and get these poor kids the hell out of this hell you created… <a href="https://t.co/uNYvXYkxP2">pic.twitter.com/uNYvXYkxP2</a>
— George Borrello (@SenatorBorrello) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBorrello/status/1894400824513569004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
National Guard soldiers are sleeping in cells in New York&#8217;s prisons as they take the place of striking prison guards.
This video posted to social media appears to be from a maximum-security cell inside the Upstate Correctional Facility, one of the prisons near the airport where… <a href="https://t.co/QtVomYyHLV">pic.twitter.com/QtVomYyHLV</a>
— JB Nicholas (@JasonBNicholas) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonBNicholas/status/1893067675716182259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
Additionally, all visitations &#8212; both personal and legal &#8212; are <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/ny-prison-strike-visitation-canceled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled</a> at facilities statewide, the DOCCS announced Thursday.
How mediation is going
Mediation between the two sides began Monday, with a reported offer from DOCCS for two times the hourly rate for overtime, the nixing of that controversial staffing-reduction memo, and suspension to certain provisions in the HALT Act &#8212; though there is reported skepticism from officers about the offer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Potential legislative changes to permanently change HALT&#8221; sounds a little lukewarm to me. &#8220;Potential legislative changes&#8221; is not &#8220;repeal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/AlIKRDy8WV">pic.twitter.com/AlIKRDy8WV</a>
— Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobLonsberry/status/1894380118904033581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
So far, no deal has been met.

tu021925_PrisonStrike

Everything You Need To Know About The Corrections Officers Strike In NY

Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul is threatening New York state correction officers who are striking over unsafe working conditions with arrests if they do not return to their jobs.
Following a rise in violent incidents inside state prisons &#8212; which officers say is due to Democratic prison reform measures &#8212; correction officers and sergeants from two NY prisons started to protest and strike last Monday. The movement has since swelled in support, and now thousands of officers and sergeants from more than 30 prisons across the state are participating. 
Hochul reacted by suing the officers, which ultimately led to her administration directing state troopers to serve papers on striking officers.
&#8220;State troopers began serving judicial orders on striking correction officers over the weekend that threatened they could be arrested if they do not show up to court this week and subsequently return to work,&#8221; the Times Union <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/state-police-begin-serving-court-orders-striking-20184196.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. &#8220;The service of the court orders is the first step in enforcing a temporary restraining order issued by a state Supreme Court justice in Erie County in a ruling that found the workers who began striking on February 17 are violating New York&#8217;s Taylor Law governing public employees that prohibits job walkouts.&#8221;
Additionally, Hochul has moved to stop paying for health insurance coverage for those striking. They’ll now have to cover their entire share of their health insurance premium, which can be hundreds to thousands of dollars more a month. If an officer can’t cover it, their insurance will be canceled. 
Officers say the strike is a long overdue reaction to Hochul &#8212; and before her, Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo &#8212; ignoring their complaints about safety and mandated work shifts that can sometimes exceed 48 hours at a time, according to a <a href="https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/2/statement-on-correctional-officers-facing-grave-danger-at-new-york-state-prisons">statement</a> from New York Congresswoman, Elise Stefanik. 
In the days leading up to the strike, officials locked down the Collins Correctional Facility in Erie County due to an inmate uprising. There was also a <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pamela-helming/statement-senator-helming-doccs-staffing?utm_source=chatgpt.com">memo</a> circulated by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) &#8220;advising prison superintendents that 70% of DOCCS’ original staffing model is the new 100%.&#8221; 
Notably, those on strike do not have the support of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), which is the government-affiliated union for correctional officers, making the strike a &#8220;wildcat strike.&#8221; 
<div id="attachment_881991" style="width: 1016px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-881991" class="wp-image-881991 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2201178170-1.jpg" alt="Striking correction officers and their supporters stage a protest along Route 9W near Greene Correctional Facility state prison on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in Coxsackie, N.Y." width="1006" height="617" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2201178170-1.jpg 1006w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2201178170-1-300x184.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2201178170-1-939x576.jpg 939w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2201178170-1-768x471.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1006px) 100vw, 1006px" />Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images</div>
Officers are calling for the HALT Act to be repealed. The law went into effect in 2022 and mandates what proponents say are “more humane alternatives” to solitary confinement while also limiting which inmates can be placed in solitary at all.
Supporters of the officers say the HALT Act hasn&#8217;t worked and has made prisons unsafe, not only for officers but for inmates and other workers, like nurses, social workers, maintenance staff, and more. 
They&#8217;ve <a href="https://x.com/WillABarclay/status/1893032059087548897">cited</a> DOCCS stats, arguing that there&#8217;s been a 169% increase in inmate-on-inmate assault, a 76% rise in inmate-on-staff assault, and a 32% bump in contraband cases since the HALT Act was implemented. 
Most officers will not speak to the media out of fear of retribution, but there are retired officers participating in protests and expressing their former colleagues&#8217; frustrations. For example, Suzanne Furman, a recently retired sergeant, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-prison-guard-strike-day-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS, &#8220;You go to work and you don&#8217;t know if you&#8217;re gonna go home, and that&#8217;s a true statement. The general public does not know how dangerous this job has become.”
There are also message boards for officers, and some people are speaking out there. A woman named <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarah.tompkins.927/posts/pfbid02b2Hez3iRAc47e7MzBzhBkUJLj7bpGcvjKaTLXrDNWhveydTtMyhkyR3ux2stx7hEl">Sarah Tompkins</a> said that while she was working at Green Haven Correctional Facility last year, an inmate tackled her to the floor and ripped out her hair. She provided photos of her injuries and said the inmate was only hit with harassment in the second degree, which is a violation, not a crime. 
A male <a href="https://www.facebook.com/young.vee.7/posts/pfbid02bqaMjoWq9jonSseqWD8odqGc5kZ1E2f3bPp3kqUBdJvJZ3yCSVSQ8Cj6XqSF1p6Yl">officer</a> also shared photos of his injuries from the job and wrote, “I got punch[ed] in the face 3 times in a 30 day span.” 
Republican state Senator Pamala Helming <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/pamela-helming/statement-senator-helming-doccs-staffing?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> earlier this month that a female officer at Groveland Correctional Facility was sitting at her desk when an inmate attacked her; she was choked, punched, and kicked in the face and body. 
Mediation between both sides began on Monday, with a reported offer from DOCCS for two times the hourly rate for overtime, the nixing of the controversial staffing reduction memo, and the suspension of certain provisions in the HALT Act.

Hochul Threatens To Arrest Correction Officers Striking Over Unsafe Work Conditions 

CBS News host Margaret Brennan seemingly advocated for Democratic governors to push back on President Donald Trump over the weekend while interviewing New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D).
The moment on &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; happened when Brennan asked Hochul about a contentious interaction that Trump had with Maine Governor Janet Mills (D).
Trump and Mills had the following interaction at the White House last week:
<blockquote>DONALD TRUMP: Is Maine here, the Governor of Maine?
GOVERNOR JANET MILLS: Yes, I&#8217;m here.
TRUMP: Are you not going to comply with it?
MILLS: I will comply with state and federal laws.
TRUMP: Well, I&#8217;m – we are the federal law. Well, you better do it. You better do it, because you&#8217;re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don&#8217;t.</blockquote>
&#8220;That was about transgender athletes on girls sports teams,&#8221; Brennan said about the exchange.
&#8220;Are you Democratic governors going to start to work together on this?&#8221; Brennan pressed. &#8220;Is there legal pushback?&#8221;
Hochul responded by claiming that Trump was &#8220;flooding the zone.&#8221;
&#8220;They&#8217;re attacking California when it comes to FEMA dollars,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They&#8217;re filing lawsuits in Illinois. They&#8217;re going after Maine on this, and they&#8217;re coming after programs that have been duly put in place in the state of New York.&#8221;
&#8220;What they&#8217;re trying to do is create this theater of all kinds of activity that is trying to be a distraction to us,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;And when someone floods the zone in a football game, what you need to have is the defenders be very disciplined, smart, but also stand their ground. And that&#8217;s exactly what New York governors, the governor of New York will do, in cooperation with our governors.&#8221;
She claimed that Democrat governors would not &#8220;sit idly by and let our rights be attacked.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ll work with you when there&#8217;s common ground, no doubt about it,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;Let&#8217;s build great projects and infrastructure. There&#8217;s areas where we&#8217;re going to work with you on immigration and getting the violent criminals off our streets. We do not dispute that. But don&#8217;t think that you can just come in and bully us around and not expect a reaction from governors.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says she will cooperate with other Democratic governors to push back on the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to target some of their policies.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not going to sit by and let our rights be attacked,&#8221; she says.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t think that you can just come in… <a href="https://t.co/xP1o5Jkbx6">pic.twitter.com/xP1o5Jkbx6</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1893694742770127032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

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