Immigration and Customs Enforcement has launched enforcement operations in New York City, targeting individuals with prior immigration detainers that were not upheld, according to NewsNation.
Sources told reporter Ali Bradley that operations began Monday morning in Queens and will move to Long Island on Tuesday. The operations target people who had prior ICE requests to other law enforcement agencies for information about an immigrant’s custody status.
Mayor’s Response
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, has been highly critical of ICE. Following the killing of a Mexican immigrant in Houston by the agency earlier this month, he called for its abolition.
“New York City stands with the Salgado family in demanding a full, independent investigation and real accountability,” Mamdani said in early July. “To the Salgado family and any immigrant family in this city living in fear: we grieve with you and we will continue to stand beside you in the pursuit of justice. Abolish ICE.”
The Hill has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment on the operations.
Broader Context
The second Trump administration’s immigration policy has faced heat, which boiled over earlier this year after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis by federal immigration authorities.
On Sunday, White House border czar Tom Homan said he did not “know specifically” the status of ICE officers involved in two fatal shootings that occurred recently in Texas and Maine.
“I don’t know specifically,” Homan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I haven’t been involved in the investigations, but it’d be policy that they’d be put on administrative leave during the shooting investigation.”
The Bottom Line
ICE has launched enforcement operations in Queens, with plans to move to Long Island on Tuesday, targeting individuals with prior immigration detainers. The operations come as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called to abolish the agency following a fatal shooting in Houston. The Trump administration’s immigration policy has faced increased scrutiny after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis earlier this year.
