Immediately following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcements of mass deportation and stricter border policies came the objections from the Left. Several Democratic governors voiced their opposition, making it abundantly clear that they had no plans to help Trump carry out his plans. In fact, some had even warned that they would actively work to make the effort to secure the border more difficult. But some Democrats have recently had a change of heart, even offering a hand. Is it possible the tide is turning? Or is this just a political ploy to curry favor with angry voters?

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was one of the Democrats who was previously unwilling to help the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) perform their duties in the so-called sanctuary state. However, she has since changed her tune. Hochul recently shared with reporters that she will be the “first one to call up ICE” to gather up illegal immigrant criminals in New York and deport them. But a question still lingers: How does Hochul determine which illegal immigrants are criminals?

According to The Post Millennial, the governor “was asked how she would handle those illegal immigrants who were guilty of an illegal border crossing, or overstaying a visa, but clear of additional crimes.” Hochul’s response seemed to dodge the primary question. Instead of sharing her thoughts on immigrants who break the law by entering the country without permission, she chose to explain the “difference” between immigrants who are “seeking asylum” and those who “commit crimes” prior to entering America. Regardless, Hochul appears determined to now assist with the deportation of immigrants who have committed additional crimes in the country.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has also joined the league of people “willing” to work with the president-elect. Even though NYC is considered a sanctuary city for migrants, the Big Apple has reportedly maxed out its available housing and resources. According to ICE data, there are over 759,000 illegal immigrants living in the city. Reportedly, at least 58,000 of these illegals have been convicted of criminal charges — 1,153 of which are “suspected or known gang members.”

Vexed by these numbers, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) shared with the New York Post, “It’s shocking that Democrats have gone so far out of their way to harbor gang members, drug traffickers, and other criminals who are in our country illegally.” She added, “In many cases, they’ve provided them with housing, food, and health care. They need to stop using New Yorkers’ hard-earned tax dollars to shield criminals wreaking havoc on our streets and instead cooperate with ICE to have them deported.” According to Fox News, several NYC council members, including Democrats, are frustrated by the immigration crisis plaguing the city.

In step with the concrete jungle, Breitbart reported that other “Democrats have begun to morph their stance on illegal aliens from protecting them all to agreeing that ‘criminals’ should be deported.” Some of these Democrats include Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The outlet’s Warner Todd Huston, however, characterized their newfound attitude as “an effort to reposition themselves … to appear ‘tough’ on crime after four years of being so permissive that their jurisdictions have devolved into a state of war between the citizens on one hand and the criminal element among illegal aliens on the other.” Huston emphasized that “this is no less than an admission [that] Donald Trump’s campaign has been right all along that America needs to begin deporting these criminals and that voters support this policy.”

However, as these Democrats vocalize their support to deport at least some of the illegal immigrants, not everyone is convinced that the offer is genuine. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) singled out Hochul in a post on X. He wrote, “If Governor Hochul actually meant what she said, Laken Riley would still be alive today. The truth is she doesn’t, and she even helped usher in NY’s sanctuary state status. This shameless effort to hide from her record won’t be forgotten by New Yorkers.” Breitbart also highlighted how Johnston had “initially said he would use the Denver Police Department as his shock troops to physically prevent ICE from deporting illegals.”

In the meantime, migrant caravans transporting over 1,600 migrants was headed straight to the U.S. Over the weekend, however, members of Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INM) stepped in and dissolved the caravans, sending the migrants to other parts of Mexico. While the future for America’s security under Trump’s leadership is still unknown, Breitbart noted that this act from the Mexican immigration authorities came shortly after “Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum had phone calls with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over the threats of tariffs if Mexico does not halt the flow of drugs, migrants, and asylum seekers headed north.”