The Trump administration has blasted New York City’s sanctuary policies, revealing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued more than 6,000 detainers requesting the handover of illegal immigrants with criminal records—most of which have been ignored, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The flood of detainers marks a 400% increase compared to the Biden administration’s efforts, as President Donald Trump ramps up ICE operations in sanctuary cities nationwide, DHS said in a statement Wednesday.
Despite the surge, DHS accused NYC leaders of refusing to cooperate with federal law enforcement. “Sanctuary politicians in New York have honored only a handful of those detainers—sending violent criminals back onto the streets,” the agency posted on X.
The agency said many of those released had prior convictions for crimes like rape, murder, and drug trafficking. “Every New Yorker should know: their sanctuary politicians are working against law enforcement and RELEASING criminal illegal aliens… back into their communities,” DHS warned.
As part of its immigration crackdown, ICE has stepped up hiring and recruitment efforts—offering six-figure salaries and $50,000 signing bonuses.
On Monday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem directly blamed New York City Mayor Eric Adams for the recent shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer by an illegal immigrant with a criminal past.
That suspect—21-year-old Dominican national Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez—was already under a deportation order when he allegedly ambushed the officer and his companion in Fort Washington Park last weekend. “There’s absolutely zero reason someone like this should be running loose on the streets of New York City,” Noem said.
Speaking outside Harlem Hospital, where she and President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan met with the wounded officer’s family, Noem pointed the finger squarely at city leadership.
“Make no mistake, this officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life, because of the policies of the mayor and city council,” she said. “When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies.”
Mayor Adams has previously voiced support for modifying sanctuary city laws, but has said he’s constrained by the city council’s opposition.
