New York municipalities refused to comply with 16,070 ICE detainer requests after President Trump returned to office fewer than two years ago, according to disturbing data released by the Department of Homeland Security. Those detainers were associated with 52,503 criminal charges or convictions.

The requests involved suspected illegal migrants accused or convicted of crimes ranging from murder and kidnapping to sexual assault. Despite those allegations and convictions, municipalities across the Democrat driven state declined to turn the migrants over to federal authorities, DHS said.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin blasted the sanctuary policies and vowed that federal immigration enforcement would continue pursuing criminal illegal migrants despite resistance from New York politicians.

“While sanctuary politicians continue to release dangerous criminals onto their streets, our brave law enforcement officers will continue to risk their lives to arrest these heinous criminals and make America safe again. Illegal aliens have no sanctuary in America.” Mullin told The Post.

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“We enforce these laws with no help from Mayor [Zohran] Mamdani and Governor [Kathy] Hochul.

“The Trump Administration is committed to protecting the American people in every city and every state, and we won’t let sanctuary politicians stand in our way,” Mullin said.

NEW: "When you have sanctuary cities and sanctuary politicians, you endanger the safety of the public."

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin takes direct aim at sanctuary city policies following an ICE shooting in the Bronx, saying politicians are creating an environment where criminal activity can thrive. "Underneath President Trump, he made it very clear he was going to restore law and order in our cities and our towns and our states, despite what happens with career politicians that put criminals in front of law abiding citizens." — Fox News (@FoxNews) October 9, 2026

ICE detainers are requests sent to state and local law enforcement agencies. They ask those agencies to hold a suspected illegal migrant for as long as 48 hours, giving federal authorities time to assume custody.

Albany allows local governments across New York to establish their own cooperation policies. That arrangement has allowed jurisdictions including New York City to operate as sanctuary cities that refuse to honor certain federal detainer requests.

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Hochul signed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act in August. The law placed restrictions on certain forms of statewide cooperation with ICE involving civil immigration matters.

The Trump administration has labeled New York a sanctuary state because its policies restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The newly released DHS figures offer a sweeping picture of the criminal charges and convictions connected to rejected detainers.

According to DHS, the alleged crimes included 131 homicides, 132 kidnappings and 1,017 sexual offenses. The figures also included 1,561 counts of driving under the influence, 1,631 burglaries, 1,776 robberies and 2,198 weapons infractions.

DHS data further listed 9,502 assaults and 4,324 counts involving dangerous drugs. The totals cover criminal charges or convictions associated with detainers rejected by municipalities across the Empire State under Trump.

Hochul’s office pushed back against the administration’s description of New York and its immigration policies. Spokeswoman Alexia Nizhny defended the state’s handling of violent criminals in a statement to The Post.

“Governor Hochul has been clear: New York State is not and never will be a sanctuary for violent criminals,” Nizhny said in response to the DHS claims.

“By law, New York State always notifies federal immigration enforcement of any non-citizen serving a State prison sentence,” she said in a statement.

“Any assertion otherwise is a blatant mischaracterization of the facts meant to distract from the cruelty and violence we saw from Secretary Mullin’s ICE agents earlier this week.”

“I’m going to say it again because you’re going to say otherwise. This is not a sanctuary for criminals, but we are a place where people want to build a life, to live safely, obey our laws, and to live the American Dream. That’s what we're all about here in New York.” https://t.co/8cEpc1erNW

— Governor Hochul Press Office (@NYGovPress) October 9, 2026

The governor’s office said an estimated 2,000 people held in New York state facilities have been transferred to federal immigration enforcement during the Trump administration.

The political clash intensified last week after ICE agents shot Oscar Belgal in the Bronx. The confrontation occurred amid accusations that Belgal accelerated his SUV near federal agents.

Belgal’s five-year-old child was in the back of the vehicle at the time. ICE claimed Belgal refused instructions to leave the SUV, struck two government vehicles, and then accelerated toward federal agents.

Belgal was struck in the neck during the confrontation. He is now in federal custody as the broader fight between Trump officials and New York’s sanctuary politicians continues.

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