New York City is once again at the center of the nation’s immigration debate as federal authorities launch what reports describe as a significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation across the city.
According to NewsNation, ICE agents began operations in Queens on Monday night, with additional enforcement activity expected to expand into other parts of New York City on Tuesday. The operation comes more than a month after White House border czar Tom Homan said that a surge of federal immigration officers would be deployed to the city.
The reported enforcement effort has drawn immediate attention from lawmakers and immigration advocates on both sides of the issue. Supporters of stricter immigration enforcement welcomed the operation, arguing that federal authorities are carrying out existing immigration law.
Today, ICE is surging agents into New York City and arresting illegal aliens.
We are going to win. https://t.co/JSrfpEGgSm
— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) July 27, 2026
Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt voiced his support on social media shortly after reports of the operation emerged.
“Today, ICE is surging agents into New York City and arresting illegal aliens,” Schmitt wrote on X. “We are going to win.”
According to The Hill, the operation is expected to focus primarily on individuals who previously had immigration detainers issued against them that were not honored. The report stated that ICE may also seek additional cooperation from local law enforcement agencies by requesting information about an immigrant’s custody status and asking departments to continue holding individuals beyond the time they otherwise would have been released, when permitted by law.
The timing of the operation has attracted additional attention because it follows a recent directive issued by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration regarding cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration authorities.
Today, New York State told 12 law enforcement agencies it’s time to end their 287(g) agreements with ICE.
Public safety is strongest when local cops are focused on local crime. pic.twitter.com/gJOPZmuPAC
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 24, 2026
Days before reports of the ICE surge surfaced, Hochul announced that her administration had notified a dozen law enforcement agencies that they should limit cooperation with ICE under New York’s newly enacted restrictions.
“Public safety is strongest when local cops are focused on local crime,” Hochul wrote on X while sharing a copy of the guidance sent to law enforcement agencies.
One of the letters, addressed to the Nassau County Police Department, cited the state’s new legal restrictions on agreements with federal immigration authorities.
“The new law prohibits any local government or law enforcement agency from entering into, modifying, renewing, remaining in, or extending ‘any agreement pursuant of subsection 287(g)’ of the INA, including, but not limited to, any agreement ‘under which an officer or employee may engage in or assist immigration enforcement, or otherwise may perform a function of an immigration officer,’” the letter stated.
Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the federal government to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies that authorize designated officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under federal supervision.
