DHS says New York rejected more than 16,000 ICE detention requests under Trump administration

New York municipalities have declined 16,070 requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain suspected undocumented migrants since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to data released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The agency said the rejected requests were associated with 52,503 criminal charges or convictions, including 131 homicides, 132 kidnappings, 1,017 sexual offenses, 1,561 driving-under-the-influence offenses, 1,631 burglaries and 1,776 robberies. The figures also included 9,502 assault cases and 4,324 drug-related offenses.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized New York’s immigration policies, arguing that restrictions on cooperation with federal authorities prevent ICE from taking custody of people it seeks to detain. ICE detainers are requests for state and local agencies to hold individuals for up to 48 hours so federal authorities can assume custody.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office disputed the administration’s characterization of the state’s policies. Spokeswoman Alexia Nizhny said New York notifies federal immigration authorities when noncitizens are serving state prison sentences. Her office also reported that approximately 2,000 people held in state facilities had been transferred to federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

The dispute comes amid heightened tensions between federal immigration authorities and New York officials following the shooting of Dominican migrant Oscar Belgal by ICE agents in the Bronx last week. Belgal was wounded during an attempted arrest and remains in federal custody.