NY GOP livid over 'sanctuary' policies after suspected illegal migrant charged with murder

The alleged murder of a New York woman by an illegal immigrant is prompting Republican lawmakers to scrutinize the state's "sanctuary" policies.

Chacaguasay-Ilbis pled not guilty Thursday to charges of murder and concealment of a corpse, claiming he has no memory of the incident due to being under the influence of alcohol. He is currently being held without bail with a preliminary court hearing set for July 2.

Prosecutors say the man entered the U.S. illegally last year and may have been applying for asylum. The revelation has prompted some Republican lawmakers to sound the alarm on state and federal immigration policies.

The border crisis is no longer isolated in states like Texas; it's in our own backyard. This coward should have never been let into our country in the first place, but open-border Democrats welcomed him with open arms," Assemblyman John Lemondes, R-District 126, told The National Desk (TND).

"This is a direct result of former-Gov. Cuomo's sanctuary state policies which have been continued by Gov. Hochul," the assemblyman continued. "Until we recognize this crisis for what it is, we will continue to see tragedies like this. It's time to say enough is enough."

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., echoed the sentiments in a statement to TND.

Jhon Moises Chacaguasay should never have been allowed into our country, yet the Biden administration and Albany Democrats welcomed him with open arms," the congresswoman said. "This tragedy could have been easily prevented if President Biden and Kathy Hochul had done their jobs and prioritized American citizens over these violent criminals. Our communities remain at risk due to their abhorrent failures."

In 2017, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an prohibiting state agencies and officers from inquiring about an individual's immigration status unless necessitated by law or in cases of illegal criminal activity. The protections extended to those who ask law enforcement officers for assistance or are witnesses to or victims of a crime.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has since doubled down on such efforts. In 2021, less than two months after being sworn in as governor, she signed legislation classifying certain threats to report an individual's immigration status as "extortion or coercion." Additionally, in July, the Democratic governor a new state process protecting undocumented immigrant workers from "retaliation and removal" during labor disputes. The process is aligned with directives from the Biden administration.

During an appearance on MSNBC in February, Gov. Hochul Republicans in Congress for rejecting a bipartisan border deal touted by President Joe Biden.