GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin (N.Y.) on Thursday slammed his state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, after the Democrat criticized the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a primary debate.
In an tweet, Zeldin called Cuomo a “thug,” the same term Cuomo used to describe officers in ICE Wednesday night during a debate with fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon. Opposition to the agency has risen sharply among Democrats amid President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
“New York state is the state that is suing Donald Trump for ripping babies from the arms of the mothers. New York state is the state that said we will not cooperate with ICE, they’re a bunch of thugs,” Cuomo said Wednesday night.
{mosads}Zeldin also responded to Cuomo in an interview on Fox News, saying that Republican gubernatorial candidate Marcus Molinaro was the real winner of the Democrats’ debate.
Cuomo and Nixon, who trails him in polling by wide margins, have traded blows over whether the state should do more to resist the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Democratic officials and advocacy groups have sharply criticized the White House and the Department of Homeland Security over detentions and deportations of undocumented immigrants, with many liberals calling for a total abolition of ICE.
Calls to eliminate the agency have yet to gain traction among the Democratic Party’s establishment, but have recently gained high-profile supporters including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (D).