New York Refused 16,070 ICE Detainers Tied to 52,503 Charges
They opened the cell. Sixteen thousand times.
Summary
- On Oct. 12, 2026, the New York Post reported DHS figures: since President Trump returned to office, municipalities in New York refused ICE detainer requests 16,070 times.
- DHS told the Post those refusals were tied to 52,503 criminal charges or convictions, including 131 homicides, 132 kidnappings, 1,017 sexual offenses, 9,502 assaults, and 4,324 dangerous-drug counts.
- A detainer asks local police to hold someone up to 48 hours so federal officers can take custody. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said New York sanctuary politicians release people his officers then have to find on the street.
- Hochul spokeswoman Alexia Nizhny told the Post the state is not a sanctuary for violent criminals, always notifies federal immigration enforcement when a non-citizen finishes a state prison sentence, and that about 2,000 people in state facilities were turned over. She called the DHS assertion a mischaracterization tied to the Bronx shooting.
Commentary
ICE asked for one thing. Hold him till we get there. Homeland Security says New York answered no, 16,070 times, on cases carrying 52,503 charges, 131 of them homicides and 1,017 sex offenses.
The governor's office calls that a twist and points to about 2,000 people handed over when a state prison sentence ends. Two thousand is not sixteen thousand. The cell door still opened.
Comments
Hold him till you get there. That is the whole request. They said no 16,070 times.
131 homicides on their list. I do not need her press release. I need the hold.
She says the state calls ICE when a prison term ends. Ask her about the other 16,000.
Two thousand handed over does not erase sixteen thousand refusals.
I work nights. A 48-hour hold is a chair in booking. New York skipped it.
Sex offenses, 1,017. Do not call that list a misunderstanding.
