New York Refused 16,070 ICE Detainers. The City's Own Numbers Show How Little Cooperation Is Left
DHS says New York declined 16,070 immigration detainers between Jan. 20, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2026, tied to 52,503 criminal charges and convictions. New York City's own reports show the NYPD honored none of 9,645. In our view, Albany and City Hall should restore cooperation on criminal cases.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 13, 2026 | 6-min read Sixteen thousand and seventy. That is how many immigration detainers the Department of Homeland Security says the state of New York did not honor between Jan. 20, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2026 [1]. DHS says those detainers were associated with 52,503 criminal charges and convictions, including 131 homicides, 1,017 sexual offenses and 9,502 assaults [1]. "We enforce these laws with no help from Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on Monday [1]. Governor Hochul's office pushed back, saying New York "is not and never will be a sanctuary for violent criminals" [2]. In our view, New York City's own published numbers go a long way toward settling that argument. Key Takeaways DHS says New York did not honor 16,070 ICE detainers from Jan. 20, 2025, to Oct. 8, 2026 [1]. DHS counts 52,503 associated criminal charges and convictions; charges are not convictions, and DHS did not separate the two [1]. The NYPD reports it received 9,645 detainers from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, and honored none of them [3]. New York City's jail system reports 851 detainers lodged