Sanctuary City NYC Sees a More Than 400% Spike in ICE Detainers as DHS Prioritizes American People Over Criminal Illegal Aliens

Sanctuary politicians forbid local law enforcement from any assistance on immigration matters, even to the point of refusing to assist with criminal arrest warrants 

WASHINGTON—The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued 6,025 arrest requests to transfer custody, or detainers, in sanctuary New York City (NYC), since January 20, 2025. To put this into perspective, during the entire Biden Administration, ICE only issued 9,472 detainers in NYC. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, there has been a more than 400 percent increase in the number of detainers lodged in NYC. 

Despite the 6,025 arrest detainers lodged, NYC has honored just a handful. In non-sanctuary cities, law enforcement would honor these requests and transfer these criminal illegal aliens to ICE law enforcement to detain and deport them. 

“In just six months ICE has issued over 6,000 detainers in NYC alone—that's a more than 400 percent increase in the number of detainers lodged under Biden,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “When sanctuary politicians like Mayor Eric Adams ignore ICE detainers, they are protecting criminal illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens. These are barbaric criminals with prior convictions for rape, murder, drug trafficking, and instead of holding them for ICE, sanctuary politicians release them back into your communities. These reckless policies have deadly consequences. Just this week, two illegal aliens who entered our country and were released under President Biden shot and nearly killed a brave off-duty CBP officer. Both criminal illegal aliens had been arrested previously for violent crimes and released by the NYPD.”  

ICE detainers are legal requests to state or local law enforcement to hold illegal aliens in custody and turn them over to immigration authorities. These individuals often have prior deportation orders, criminal convictions, or pose as national security threats.  

As ICE officers are arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, they are facing a record number of assaults against them. Assaults on ICE law enforcement have increased by 830 percent since Trump took office. This increase in violence is largely driven by anti-ICE rhetoric and further fueled by these sanctuary politicians and their reckless policies.  

DHS reaffirms our commitment to the American people—it will not be deterred by partisan attacks or activist pressure. ICE will continue placing detainers, enforcing immigration law, and defending public safety—because every American deserves to feel safe in their own neighborhood.

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