House Speaker Mike Johnson and two New York state lawmakers have invited police officers who were harassed by an immigrant mob near Times Square in January to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
Johnson will be co-sponsored by NYPD Police Officer Zunxu Tian and Representative Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), as well as Lt. Ben Kurian and Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY).
Two Empire State Republicans have invited executives, and the speakers will host them in their sections during Biden’s landmark annual address this Thursday.
“Sanctuary cities put Americans across the country at risk. Brave law enforcement officers like NYPD Lt. Ben Kurian and Officer Tian Zunxu are victims of the senseless crimes these policies encourage. No one should ever become a person,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by the Post.
New York City has multiple “sanctuary city” policies, meaning it limits its cooperation with federal immigration law enforcement.
Recently, Mayor Eric Adams has publicly considered reversing some of these policies. In other words, for people suspected of being immigrants. A serious criminal act.
Members of Congress often invite guests to give celebratory speeches aimed at sending a broad message to both the president and the nation. The invitation of Mr. Tian and Mr. Kurian underscores how critical the border crisis is becoming in the run-up to the November 5 presidential election.
“NYPD officers work on the front lines every day to keep our streets safe, and unfortunately, they are now responsible for hundreds of violent crimes that are illegally committed in our country,” Malliotakis said in a statement. We are being forced to deal with this.”
“We would like Lt. Gov. Kurian to accompany us to the State of the Union address, not only to show support for New York City’s brightest people, but also to draw attention to the need for the Biden administration to end dangerous border policies. I’m honored.”
During a violent confrontation in January, Kurian and Tian told a group of immigrants from the Candler Building shelter to move along West 42nd Street in Manhattan in an attempt to disperse an unruly crowd. I instructed, but the tension boiled over.
An altercation breaks out between an immigrant and two of New York’s Finest. Others then joined in, punching the officers and kicking the duo in the head and body before fleeing.
“No one embodies the brave American spirit more than our nation’s law enforcement professionals,” said Mr. D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective.
“I am pleased that their courage will be recognized by the American people for their efforts to protect our citizens.”
The Big Apple has weathered a series of crimes committed by immigrants in the city since the wave of immigration began in spring 2022. Many of the immigrants are asylum seekers.
Since then, well over 172,000 immigrants have come to the city.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has sent over 37,900 immigrants As part of Operation Lone Star, it will be in the Big Apple starting in August 2022.
On a national level, there were 176,205 encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in January, down from a record high of 301,983 in December. According to the data From U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Biden traveled to Brownsville, Texas, last Thursday to face off against former President Donald Trump in Eagle Pass, Texas, more than 300 miles away.
It was the 81-year-old president’s second public visit to the border, following a visit to El Paso in January 2023.
Democrats point to Republicans’ decision last month to scrap a Senate compromise bill that would have significantly reformed border policy, saying polls show border policy is a top issue among many voters. is trying to fend off Republican criticism of its border policies.
At one point after his visit to Brownsville, Mr. Biden appeared to hint that he might work with Mr. Trump on the border crisis.
“I know this is the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen,” Biden said during his visit. “So instead of playing politics with this issue, why don’t we just come together and solve it?”
This will be Biden’s third State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, and perhaps his biggest national platform as commander in chief before the Nov. 5 election.
