Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nassau County Legislator Carrié Solages and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, whose districts include Elmont, hosted a meet-and-greet with Gov. Kathy Hochul for the Haitian community last Friday.
The event took place at the Vault, on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont, and it was intended to rally Haitian community supporters around Hochul and Democratic candidates in anticipation of the November election.
The participants had a chance to meet the governor and gain a better understanding of the people working in her administration. Michaelle Solages credited Hochul for supporting Haitian immigrants with temporary protected status, and efforts to help them with legal services, health care, schools and protection from profiling.
Hochul discussed protections against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York and described how the fear of enforcement affects Haitian neighborhoods and businesses. She also noted that ICE agents are now banned from wearing masks, which she described as an “intimidation tactic.”
Near the end of the event, Hochul recalled her grandparents, who emigrated from Ireland. “I was a lucky one,” she said. “My family got out, and I know my job as the governor of this greatest state in America is to make sure everybody — everybody who came here, no matter when they came — has the same chance that my family had of living the American dream. That is my commitment to all of you.”
Claire Leon, of Elmont, expressed support for the governor’s stance on the Haitian community and her prioritization of immigration policies. Leon said that immigration enforcement and Temporary Protected Status are major concerns, and emphasized the need for safety, dignity and equal treatment in Nassau County.
“We want safety. We want to be comfortable,” Leon said. “This country is a country of promise. This is America we're talking about, a country of freedom. I want my country to be free. … I think we're tired of the temporary status. We want permanent residency.”
Dr. Malc Hilaire, a Franklin Square resident, emphasized the significance of the governor’s appearance for the Haitian community, linked it to community support and expressed hopes for the governor’s re-election.
“Well, basically she means a lot because she's been on the backbone of everything good that's been done for the Haitian community,” Hilaire said.
Hochul also criticized President Trump’s policy toward people with TPS, saying that deportations violate core values. She described the Haitian community as essential health care workers and caregivers and further emphasized the value of the community’s businesses, families and loved ones.
“I wanted to talk to this community, primarily Haitian, to let them know that I am supporting them 100 percent,” Hochul told the Herald. “That I am appalled by Donald Trump's cruel policy against people who are here legally with temporary protected status, like the Haitians. … [T]o be deporting them violates everything that we stand on. So I wanted to tell the community that I'm fighting for them.”
