In a new effort to empathize with illegal immigrants, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared himself to be one of them himself in a bill signing ceremony Thursday.
“I’m undocumented," Cuomo declared at the ceremony, where he signed legislation to protection union membership. "You want to deport an undocumented person, start with me because I’m an undocumented person.”
The governor also explained that he and his family know what it means to be a victim of racial prejudice.
“I’m an Italian-American," he explained. "I came from poor Italian-Americans who came here. You know what they called Italian-Americans back in the day? They called them wops. You know what wop stood for? Without papers.”
Some pointed out the insensitivity of Cuomo's comments.
Seems to me that @NYGovCuomo’s rhetorical charade of pretending to be undocumented, and calling to be deported — which of course he can never be — just minimizes the plight of actual undocumented immigrants. And is, for lack of better word, DUMB.
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) April 20, 2018
In fact, immigrant groups were offended.
Statement on Cuomo claims of being son of "poor immigrants," "undocumented" & "middle class." Our @antonioalarcon: To immigrant NYers...these fabrications are offensive...His parents weren't immigrants, his family wasn't poor, & he has no idea what it’s like to [be] undocumented. pic.twitter.com/1TsGo9bVjq
— Make the Road Action (@MaketheRoadAct) April 18, 2018
Dictionary.com even got in on the act, trolling Cuomo with the actual definition of "undocumented."
Undocumented: Lacking documentation or authentication. #Cuomohttps://t.co/6HLqoFpqvW https://t.co/Itrd5J0FMC
— Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) April 19, 2018