New York leaders express guarded support for Trump ICE raids in country’s biggest sanctuary city

New York political leaders are split over the recent increase in ICE deportation and removal operations of illegal immigrants under the Trump administration, with Republicans praising the crackdown and Democrats stressing authorities respect local migrant “sanctuary” policies.

ICE agents and federal authorities have been spotted in New York City and throughout the surrounding area, carrying out arrests of illegal immigrants. 

Among those arrested on Tuesday was a 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant named Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, who is a member of the violent criminal group Tren de Aragua. Zambrano-Pacheco is charged with kidnapping, assault and burglary.

New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said Tuesday afternoon that the New York City Police Department had supported federal authorities carrying out the criminal raid.

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“Early this morning — as it regularly does as part of a multi-agency task force — our city coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on a federal criminal investigation involving a suspect hiding in New York City,” said Adams. “Beforehand, I directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation to arrest an individual connected with multiple violent crimes, both here in New York and in Aurora, Colorado, including burglary, kidnapping, extortion, firearms possession, menacing with a firearm, crime of violence, and other charges.”

“As I have repeatedly said,” Adams went on, “we will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years. Our commitment to protecting our city’s law-abiding residents, both citizens and immigrants, remains unwavering.” 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul took a similar tone, saying: “My understanding is that they had specific names of people who committed crimes, serious offenders, and those are exactly the people that we want removed from the state of New York.”

“I want to be clear,” she said, “there has always been ICE raids in the state of New York, even in the past, and this is not a new dynamic.”

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New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, issued an apparent warning to state and local law enforcement cooperating with federal authorities, saying in a Tuesday X post that she would be monitoring the situation closely to ensure that state sanctuary policies are not violated.

“My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City,” she said. “I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people’s rights are not being violated. We have sent guidance to law enforcement, and it must be followed.”

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For its part, a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department clarified that the NYPD does not engage or assist in any manner with civil immigration enforcement, but rather does “work daily with federal law enforcement agencies in connection with a wide range of criminal investigations.”

The spokesperson told Fox News that “in particular, the Department participates in task forces with a variety of federal law enforcement agencies investigating violations of federal criminal law.”

New York Republicans, on the other hand, were quick to express their relief over the ICE raids.

U.S. Rep Nicole Malliotakis, whose district includes portions of Staten Island and Brooklyn, issued a statement saying: “I thank President Donald Trump, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristy Noem for their leadership and wasting no time to initiate the removal of dangerous, violent foreign criminals and gangs from New York City streets—groups that have wreaked havoc in our city over the past four years and have committed thousands of crimes including robberies, sex crimes, assaulting NYPD officers, and even murder.”

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“The mass illegal migration crisis created by the Biden Administration cost American lives and New York’s taxpayers billions of dollars,” Malliotakis went on. “New York City must fully cooperate with ICE to rid our city of this criminal activity. No local or state elected official or government agency should stand in the way as federal authorities enforce our nation’s immigration laws to ensure the safety of all Americans.”

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Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents parts of Upstate New York, called the raids “tremendous” and said they demonstrate “true leadership” from the Trump administration.

“This is tremendous. … I am so happy to see this,” Tenney said on the Fox News Business Channel. “All I’ve heard from especially a lot of senior citizens and others is how thrilled they are that we’re seeing these absolutely violent criminal illegal immigrants that are being harbored by these sanctuary cities being taken out of our communities and making our communities safer. This is a huge win for the Trump administration. It shows that we have decisive leadership. We do not have the paralysis of analysis.”

Alexis McAdams and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.