ICE begins large enforcement operation in New York City

Federal immigration authorities have launched a significant enforcement operation in New York City, beginning in Queens on Monday, July 27, 2026, and expanding to other parts of the metropolitan area on Tuesday. The action marks an escalation of federal immigration enforcement in a jurisdiction with long-standing policies limiting cooperation with federal authorities.

The operation is being conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers already assigned to the New York field office and has not yet involved agents brought in from other regions, according to sources familiar with the matter. Officials stated the enforcement push is focused on individuals who were released from local jails or prisons despite the agency issuing detainers requesting they be held for transfer into federal custody.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan had warned for over a month that additional enforcement resources were headed to New York City. Last week, he confirmed ICE would increase its presence, citing a reported attack on a federal building as an example of what he described as growing hostility toward immigration personnel. Homan stressed the operation had been planned prior to that...