Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, has threatened to send a surge of immigration enforcement agents to New York City, vowing to deploy 'more ICE agents than you've ever seen' in the city. The threat comes as the administration intensifies its crackdown on sanctuary cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
In an interview on Fox News on Monday, Homan said he had reviewed an operational plan to expand Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in New York. He claimed he made a promise to New York Governor Kathy Hochul that he would increase ICE presence if the state passed legislation barring local law enforcement from working with immigration authorities in jails.
'I made her a promise: you're going to see more ICE agents than you've ever seen in New York City, and it's coming,' Homan said. 'I just reviewed an operational plan.' Homan has previously threatened similar actions in other Democrat-run sanctuary cities across the country.
The latest threat coincides with major events expected to draw millions to the region, including the NBA finals featuring the New York Knicks and the FIFA World Cup final, to be held about 10 miles outside the city in New Jersey. Immigrant rights advocates have issued travel warnings for the estimated 10 million visitors to the World Cup, citing risks of 'serious rights violations' including arbitrary denial of entry and arrest, detention, or deportation.
At least 18 people have died in ICE custody this year. In January, during an enforcement surge in Minneapolis, immigration officers killed two US citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, within weeks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded defiantly, stating, 'Soccer would not exist without immigrants... We will not allow ICE or anyone else to sow fear in our communities – especially at this moment.'
