EXCLUSIVE: A New York City police officer who was attacked by migrants in Times Square is coming to Washington, D.C., to watch President Biden tout his administration’s work over the last year in his State of the Union address.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the only Republican representing New York City in the House, told Fox News Digital she invited NYPD Lieutenant Ben Kurian to the president’s major address on Wednesday.
“Our NYPD officers are on the front line every single day working to keep our streets safe, and unfortunately, now they are being forced to deal with hundreds of violent crimes being committed by those in our country illegally,” Malliotakis said.
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President Biden is set to give his State of the Union address on Wednesday. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The horrifying video of Lt. Kurian and his fellow officer being attacked by a mob in Times Square was hard to watch, but it shed a light on just how difficult our officers’ jobs have become.”
She said his presence at Biden’s speech will “bring attention to the need for the Biden administration to end its dangerous border policies.”
A now-viral video from late January showed two officers being attacked by a group of migrants in the heart of New York City’s tourist area.
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This image from video provided by the Office of the Manhattan District Attorney shows a scuffle between New York City Police Department officers and migrants in New York’s Times Square on Jan. 27. (Manhattan District Attorney via AP)
One suspect can be seen kicking an officer in the head twice while another person kicked the other officer in the back.
The attack began after the police officers asked migrants who were blocking the sidewalk outside a shelter to disperse, the NYPD has said.
The incident was a flashpoint in the tension that’s long been simmering in New York City since it was flooded by thousands of migrants, many seeking asylum. A number were bussed up by Southern governors whose states were buckling under the strain of people crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than 161,000 migrants have come to New York City in need of shelter and other city resources since the middle of 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said.
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Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is bringing one of the officers attacked in Times Square to the State of the Union address. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Earlier this week, Adams, a Democrat, called for curtailing the city’s “sanctuary” status to allow migrants “suspected of serious crimes” to be turned over to federal law enforcement.
Republican lawmakers, including Malliotakis, have denounced the city’s sanctuary policies as a primary driver of the migrant crisis.
When reached for comment on Malliotakis’ speech invitation, the White House referred Fox News Digital to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s earlier condemnation of the attack. The Biden official said on Jan. 31, “The assault on two NYPD officers over the weekend is absolutely unacceptable. The president is outraged by these attacks on law enforcement. We hope these officers make a swift recovery as this attack is investigated.”
