Tren de Aragua suspect apprehended by ICE
Fox News’ Alexis McAdams provides details on newly confirmed DHS Sec. Kristi Noem’s efforts to aid ICE during raids in New York City and the arrest of a suspected Tren de Aragua member.
As President Donald Trump’s federal raids ramp up across the United States, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ pushback against his illegal immigration strategy has been slammed for not prioritizing public safety.
One longtime New York City police officer said the state’s politicians need to “get on the same page” after James’ comments in the wake of Tuesday’s raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents.
“My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City. I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people’s rights are not being violated,” James wrote in a post on X Tuesday.
Along with her post, she attached guidance that emphasizes the rights of illegal migrants and federal, state and local laws that the state’s law enforcement agencies must adhere to.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
One example is that local law enforcement agencies in New York are “not ordinarily permitted to detain people at the request of federal civil immigration authorities alone without a judicial warrant.”
Read New York Attorney General Letitia James’ guidelines to local law enforcement. Mobile users click here.
James’ statement came after newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem descended on the country’s largest sanctuary city early Tuesday for the arrests of illegal immigrants wanted for violent crimes.
“7 AM in NYC. Getting the dirtbags off the streets,” Noem posted on X.
KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH ‘DIRTBAGS’ IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY
Several hours after the raid, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that the city “will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years.”
The Democratic mayor said he “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.”
Homeland Security and immigration officials launched an enforcement operation in New York City, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Department of Homeland Security)
NYPD Sgt. Joseph Imperatrice, the founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, told Fox News Digital that the attorney general should prioritize her constituents’ safety over making political statements.
“The number one goal of any person in office is the safety of their constituents. And I believe that, across the board, our politicians need to get on the same page, work together, understand each other and why we’re doing what we’re doing,” he said.
“We cannot have people coming into our country committing violent felonies and then speaking out about it when it could have been prevented,” he said. “This can all be prevented. The second you break our rules or commit a violent felony or any type of felony, your rights should be rescinded. And that’s where we all need to get on the same page to work for a safer America and a safer New York City.”
NYPD Sgt. Joseph Imperatrice, the founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, said that local law enforcement want to work with federal officials to make their communities safer. (Fox News)
Local law enforcement, Imperatrice said, want to serve their communities and “come together” to make America safer.
“We need to listen to the communities we serve since they’re the ones that pay our taxes to be able to pay for the salaries of our first responders, and they’re the ones that vote for our politicians. Their voices need to be heard,” he said. “As long as ICE arrests are done within the guidelines and through the Constitution, we need to come together to work on making New York City and America safe.”
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Imperatrice said that law enforcement, despite being in different departments, want to work together to “get the worst of the worst off our streets.”
“I never understood why law enforcement wouldn’t work with other law enforcement agencies. That just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” he said. “The goal is we should be welcoming each other across the board to make this community safer and get the worst of the worst off of our streets.”
WATCH: Trump’s DOJ to investigate sanctuary city officials who resist immigration crackdown
CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE
New York is one of a number of “sanctuary” jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE detainers.
The raids came as Democratic states and cities are preparing their response to Trump’s freezing of “all federal financial assistance,” prompting outrage from James.
“My office will be taking imminent legal action against this administration’s unconstitutional pause on federal funding,” the attorney general wrote on X. “We won’t sit idly by while this administration harms our families.”
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In a Monday post on X, ICE reported 1,179 single-day arrests and lodged 853 detainers, which means “there’s probable cause to believe that the person is removable from the United States under federal immigration law.”
In the last week, the Department of Homeland Security said that “law enforcement officials have removed and returned 7,300 illegal aliens.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and James’ office for comment.
