Federal law enforcement officials from multiple agencies and their local partners swept into New York City early Tuesday to conduct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in line with policy changes enacted by President Donald Trump. Gaby Acevedo reports on new video of an ICE arrest in NYC.
Federal law enforcement officials from multiple agencies and their local partners swept into New York City early Tuesday to conduct U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in line with policy changes enacted by President Donald Trump.
During his first week in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued a slew of edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and border security. Some actions were felt immediately.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was in the Bronx Tuesday for the round-up.
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"We are doing this right - doing exactly what President. @realDonaldTrump promised the American people - making our streets safe. Live this AM from NYC. I’m on it," Noem said in an early post on X.
Later, she posted video of an apparent arrest. Her department posted the same video, confirming the suspect was in custody on kidnapping, assault and burglary charges. He also had an outstanding warrant in Colorado.
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Arresting some criminal aliens this morning in NYC - thank you to the brave officers involved. @DHSgov @ICEgov @SecretService @DEAHQ @USMarshalsHQ @NYPDSpecialops pic.twitter.com/uaRxFCvh5h
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) January 28, 2025
The DEA's New York office also confirmed an arrest. It wasn't immediately clear how many were taken into custody as of Tuesday morning.
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Mayor Eric Adams later said he directed the NYPD to coordinate with their federal partners on the operation.
“Early this morning — as it regularly does as part of a multi-agency task force — our city coordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on a federal criminal investigation involving a suspect hiding in New York City. Beforehand, I directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation to arrest an individual connected with multiple violent crimes, both here in New York and in Aurora, Colorado, including burglary, kidnapping, extortion, firearms possession, menacing with a firearm, crime of violence, and other charges," Adams said in a statement.
"As I have repeatedly said, we will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years," he added. "Our commitment to protecting our city’s law-abiding residents, both citizens and immigrants, remains unwavering.”
Happening now, #DEANewYork participated in an operation supporting @DHSgov, along with our @TheJusticeDept & other federal law enforcement partners, with their #immigration enforcement efforts which resulted in the arrest of one for kidnapping, assault & burglary charges. pic.twitter.com/tXSVxJ6Kpb
— DEANewYork (@DEANEWYORKDiv) January 28, 2025
ICE said it made an average of 710 immigration arrests daily from Thursday through Monday, up from a daily average of 311 in a 12-month period through September under President Joe Biden. If that rate holds, it would surpass ICE's previous high mark set in the Obama administration, when daily arrests averaged 636 in 2013.
Numbers spiked starting Sunday and included highly publicized operations, including in Atlanta, Dallas and, most prominently, Chicago. The Trump administration is planning to conduct major immigration raids with those groups in three U.S. cities per week, three sources familiar with the planning told NBC News. One of the sources described these operations as “all hands on deck.”
Chicago began on Sunday, New York City began Tuesday, and the three officials said they are planning for the next operation in Aurora, Colorado on Thursday, NBC News reported. Next week, three more cities will be targeted. At the same time, in a meeting with ICE senior leadership over the weekend, ICE’s 25 field offices were told to enhance their “routine operations” by meeting a quota of between 1200 and 1500 arrests per day, the sources told NBC News.
The Trump administration has highlighted participation of other agencies in ICE operations, a departure from Biden. They include the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — all part of the Justice Department — and the Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol.
#HappeningNow ATF NY, along with our partners @DEANEWYORKDiv @HSINewYork @ERONewYork as well as other federal law enforcement partners are assisting DHS with their immigration enforcement efforts. @dhsgov @thejusticedept pic.twitter.com/3gdVDAObrL
— ATF New York (@ATFNewYork) January 28, 2025
Emile Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, observed arrests in Chicago on Sunday in a sign of the Justice Department's growing involvement.
Trump expanded arrest priorities to anyone in the country illegally, not just people with criminal convictions, public safety or national security threats and migrants stopped at the border. Still, some said it was business as usual for ICE — at least so far.
“There’s nothing unique about it,” said Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a research and advocacy group that favors immigration restrictions.
He anticipates more enforcement in next few weeks and believes Congress will approve funding for up to 80,000 beds, about double the current level. ICE needs the space to hold people while any legal proceedings play out and while it arranges deportations.