Rep. Mike Lawler hammers Dem Cait Conley over support for sanctuary policies, portrays her as phony New Yorker in fiery final debate

The gloves were off.Hudson Valley Rep.Mike Lawler ripped his Democratic challenger Cait Conley over her support for sanctuary state policies and portrayed her as a phony New Yorker in their final debate.The two candidates for New York’s hotly contested 17th Congressional District came out swinging for the Wednesday night televised showdown on Pix11, trading barbs over ICE and President Trump’s immigration agenda.Lawler, the Republican incumbent seeking his third term, said the high-profile ICE shooting last week in the Big Apple could have been prevented if local law enforcement were able to cooperate with federal immigration officers.“Kathy Hochul’s disastrous new law — which Conley supports — prohibits cooperation,” fumed Lawler.“We’re talking about a gangbanger who came into this country illegally,” Lawler said, referring to Oscar Begal, the Dominican Republic native and alleged Trinitarios gang member shot by ICE agents in The Bronx as he tried to evade arrest.“You want accountability, so do I.

Let’s start by actually enforcing the law in this country,” Lawler said.He attacked Conley, saying she “ran around” a question by the parents of Sheridan Gorman, a Westchester County college student killed by an illegal migrant in Chicago.“What happened to Sheridan Gorman should never have happened,” Conley replied after Lawler repeatedly pressed her.“He should’ve been deported.He should’ve been turned over to federal immigration officials,” Conley finally conceded, referring to Gorman’s killer.Conley repeatedly tried to connect Lawler to the president, saying, “He votes with Donald Trump 100% of the time.”Lawler countered by noting his bipartisan voting record.The incumbent also tried to paint Conley — who grew up in the greater Hudson Valley, attended West Point and then moved out-of-state for work — as a carpetbagger.“I know you just moved here from Virginia,” Lawler sniped during one of many snide digs the two ...