President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday revealed new data showing a dramatic rise in immigration enforcement efforts in New York City, issuing more than 6,000 detainer requests in just six months—an increase of over 400% compared to the total number issued during President Joe Biden’s entire term.
According to DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed 6,025 detainers—formal requests to local authorities to transfer custody of illegal immigrants—since President Trump returned to office in January. In contrast, only 9,472 detainers were lodged during all four years of Biden’s presidency.
Despite the surge, New York City has complied with only a “handful” of those requests, according to DHS.
“In just six months, ICE has issued more detainers in New York City than the Biden administration did in four years,” said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Mayor Eric Adams and other sanctuary politicians are shielding criminal illegal aliens—including rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers—by refusing to cooperate with ICE. These dangerous policies are putting American lives at risk.”
ICE Arrests Climb, But So Do Attacks on Agents
DHS also reported that assaults on ICE agents have skyrocketed by 830% since Trump took office in January 2025, attributing the rise to increasingly hostile rhetoric from elected Democrats and policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Officials say ICE officers are facing escalating violence as they attempt to carry out Trump’s renewed deportation crackdown—efforts that have been compared by some progressive politicians to Nazi-era tactics.
“This kind of extremist rhetoric only emboldens violence,” McLaughlin said.
The intensifying immigration clash came to a head last weekend when an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was shot in the face in New York City. The shooter, identified as Dominican national Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, entered the U.S. in April 2023 under Biden’s administration and was released into the country. DHS says he had been arrested for violent crimes but released by NYPD, despite an ICE detainer.
“This is exactly what happens when ICE warnings are ignored,” said one senior DHS official. “That CBP officer is lucky to be alive.”
Trump’s Border Strategy Expands
The administration has also taken broader steps to address border security, including declaring over 100,000 acres along the U.S.-Mexico border a National Defense Area. The order, signed by Trump in May, authorizes expanded military support for immigration enforcement in key border regions of New Mexico.
Crime Surge Tied to Migrant Population
New York’s sanctuary status has drawn additional scrutiny amid rising concerns over crime involving migrants. A recent Fox News Digital report revealed that between January 1, 2023, and October 31, 2024, 3,219 migrants living in city shelters were arrested 4,884 times—many for theft, assault, drug charges, and sex crimes.
Despite the backlash, Mayor Adams defended the city’s policies at a press conference earlier this week.
“I don’t make the rules—I enforce them,” Adams said in response to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s criticism following the CBP officer shooting.
Trump Stands Firm
President Trump, who has made restoring border enforcement a central pillar of his second term, has vowed to keep up the pressure on sanctuary jurisdictions.
“Protecting American citizens comes first,” Trump said during a recent immigration policy roundtable. “No more excuses, no more releases—these criminals are going home.”
