Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended approximately 2,197 individuals across New York state during a monthlong operation targeting illegal migrants, including those with felony convictions, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Tuesday. The operation, dubbed "Operation Rotten Apple," ran from July 27 to Aug. 29.
Mullin stated that the operation was conducted "with no help" from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Governor Kathy Hochul. "Operation Rotten Apple did what sanctuary politicians in New York City and the state of New York refuse to do: made the Empire State safer," Mullin said in a statement, criticizing what he termed "radical sanctuary policies."
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), those arrested included individuals with convictions for murder, kidnapping, rape, and sexual conduct against a child. Among those apprehended were Bogdan Detrovich Gren, a Ukrainian national accused of kidnapping and murder; Andreas Bernal Chiquito, a Colombian national with past arrests for sexual conduct against a child; Palvinder Singh, an Indian national convicted of rape in Germany; and Carlos Mendez-Acosta, a Venezuelan national convicted of rape.
"We won’t let sanctuary politicians stand in our way," Mullin added. "If you’re a state or local politician, your best bet is to cooperate with us so we can all make America safe again."
DHS claims that New York's sanctuary policies have led to the release of over 13,000 individuals with criminal records back into the community. Mamdani previously signed an executive order reinforcing sanctuary protections, and Hochul signed legislation preventing state police from partnering with federal immigration authorities and restricting ICE agents' access to public spaces.
Tom Homan, a former Trump administration border czar, commented that "Democratic politicians in New York and elsewhere say that they care about public safety, but won’t let immigration law enforcement officers into their jails to take criminals into custody, instead they release them to their streets. It makes no sense."