Police officer and veteran in NYC suburbs argue over border crisis and law enforcement on ballot.

Former NYPD Inspector Alison Esposito criticized her congressional opponent at an event for GOP women candidates, alleging that his transition from the military to Congress resulted in a shift in his approach to public service.

In response, Rep. Patrick Ryan, a Democrat from New York and an Iraq War veteran, emphasized a recent visit to the southern border and bipartisan support from law enforcement officials in the Hudson Valley.

Esposito, recruited in 2024 by Rep. Elise Stefanik’s Republican women’s candidate group, E-PAC, declared herself as a cop first and foremost, not a politician.

She stated, “That is what I am. That is what I always will be,” describing her experience during the George Floyd riots where she was struck in the head by a cabinet thrown out of a window by protesters, akin to a scene from the movie “Braveheart.”

Esposito accused Ryan of presenting himself as a moderate on rule-of-law matters while behaving differently. Ryan later refuted her claims.

“He wants to play the moderate game, but then, at the same time, it’s important to remember when he was the Ulster County executive, he made Ulster a sanctuary county,” Esposito asserted.

“Now, I thank him very much for his service, and I respect it greatly. But I would argue that the moment he shed that uniform, he ceased to serve the American people.”

In 2019, Ryan implemented an order altering procedures related to collaboration with immigration authorities, and he clarified that Ulster actively evaded “sanctuary city” terminology.

Ryan mentioned that he was among 15 Democrats who demanded President Biden to secure the border through executive action, stating, “The No. 1 thing I learned as an Army officer: When in charge, take charge. We are in a crisis; the president is in charge.”

Esposito emphasized how her area witnessed migrants being relocated upriver as New York City faced an overflow of newcomers.

Migrants were dispersed to suburbs like Orangeburg, Middletown, and Newburgh, with Esposito noting that New York Democrats who supported sanctuary state policies finally grasped the implications of their decisions.

“It was only a matter of time… They were fine with the inflow at the southern border as long as [migrants] remained in the south. When the [border-state] governors were grappling with thousands a day, they would transfer a couple hundred up. And now you have the same sanctuary politicians exclaiming, ‘Oh no, this is unsustainable’,” she remarked.

Both candidates affirmed that the rule of law and border security are significant election issues, with Esposito recounting her recent visit to Orange County, where these issues are at the forefront.

“You had an individual on the deportation list awaiting trial who allegedly killed two people,” she pointed out. “You come out of ShopRite in Middletown, and you see migrants and illegal immigrants holding their babies, selling water, selling roses,” Esposito added.

Stefanik expressed her belief that Esposito and the other five endorsed women introduced at her E-PAC event could make a difference in the upcoming November election.

“With the assistance of these rising stars, House Republicans will… help safeguard our country from the disastrous policies of far-left Democrats,” she stated.