Over 2,000 immigrants arrested in New York during ICE operation

New York: US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested 2,197 immigrants across New York state during an operation conducted from late July to late August.

Speaking at a press conference in New York City on Tuesday (local time), Mullin said “Operation Rotten Apple” had done what he described as “sanctuary politicians” in New York City and the state refused to do — make the Empire State safer. He also said the operation received no assistance from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Governor Kathy Hochul.

“Over the course of this operation, we arrested murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent assailants,” Mullin said.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan said Democratic politicians in New York and elsewhere claim to care about public safety but do not allow federal immigration enforcement officers into jails to take criminals into custody. Instead, he said, such individuals are released onto the streets.

“It makes no sense,” Homan said.

Hochul challenged the DHS officials’ remarks at a separate press conference on the same day, saying, “We’re not a sanctuary state for criminals.” She also accused the administration of lying to the public, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Here’s my message to the president: Don’t undermine our public safety efforts. Don’t defund the police who thwart terror attacks. Don’t play political games with people’s lives,” Hochul said.

She also demanded the release of $87 million in federal funding that she said was owed to New York, warning that withholding counterterrorism funds would betray families who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks.

“Release the 87 million dollars you owe us, because if you don’t release the counterterrorism funding, you’re betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11,” Hochul said.

Hochul said DHS, the agency created in response to the September 11 attacks, was withholding 40 per cent of New York State’s counterterrorism funding.

Mamdani said that if anyone committed serious crimes, the city government would contact the federal administration.

“If anyone were to commit serious crimes, we would be in contact with the federal administration about it,” Mamdani said.

However, he accused ICE of attempting to “criminalise the very fact of being an immigrant” and said its actions were creating fear among immigrants across New York City and the country.

“What we are seeing, however, from ICE is an attempt to criminalise the very fact of being an immigrant, and we are seeing a terrorising of immigrants across our city and, frankly, across our nation, that has left so many, regardless of their status, in deep fear about even leaving their home,” Mamdani said.

With IANS inputs