US DHS Says 2,197 Immigrants Arrested in New York
Operation Rotten Apple sparks clash between federal officials and New York leaders over immigration enforcement
By Anjali Sharma
NEW YORK – NY Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday challenged the remarks from DHS officials and said at a separate press conference that “we’re not a sanctuary state for criminals” and accusing the administration of lying to the public.
US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested 2,197 immigrants across the state of New York in a major operation from late July to late August.
Mullin in a press conference stated that “Operation Rotten Apple” did what “sanctuary politicians” in New York City and the state of New York refuse to do – made the Empire State safer, highlighted that they received no help from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, IANS reported.
“Over the course of this operation, we arrested murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent assailants,” Mullin said.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan stated that while they claim that they care about public safety, but will not let immigration law enforcement officers into their jails to take criminals into custody and rather they release them to the streets as he targeted the Democratic politicians in New York and elsewhere.
“It makes no sense,” he added.
Kathy Hochul said “Here’s my message to the president: Don’t undermine our public safety efforts. Don’t defund the police who thwart terror attacks. Don’t play political games with people’s lives.”
“Release the 87 million dollars you owe us, because if you don’t release the counterterrorism funding, you’re betraying every family that lost someone on 9/11,” Hochul added.
She noted that the DHS, the agency created in response to 9/11, is withholding 40 per cent of New York State’s counterterrorism funding.
Mamdani said that if anyone were to commit serious crimes, “we would be in contact with the federal administration about it.”
“What we are seeing, however, from ICE is an attempt to criminalize the very fact of being an immigrant, and we are seeing a terrorizing of immigrants across our city and, frankly, across our nation, that has left so many, regardless of their status, in deep fear about even leaving their home,” Mamdani added.
