Immigration and Customs Enforcement will increase operations in New York City due to its status as a sanctuary city, White House border czar Tom Homan said Tuesday.

“We’re increasing enforcement presence in New York City again because they’re a sanctuary city, and we know we have an issue. There are public safety threats in the street every day,” Homan said on Fox & Friends.

“I’m willing to meet with anybody. President Trump is willing to meet with anybody, but let’s get together and work it together. We’d much rather work with these sanctuary cities than keep, you know, putting our officers at extreme risk,” Homan added.

City Hall responded with the following statement:

“The job of a mayor is to protect the safety of every single person in their city — and that’s exactly what Mayor Adams has worked to do every day for nearly four years. Keeping New Yorkers safe also means making sure they feel safe, and Mayor Adams has been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,” a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said. “But we have also been clear that our administration will always follow the law, and that means we do not collaborate with the federal government on civil immigration enforcement.”

Homan’s remarks come as Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and President Trump are working on plans to meet in Washington. Mamdani said he plans to speak with the president about affordability issues. 

“New York City’s more than 3 million immigrants are central to our city’s strength, vitality, and success. The Mayor-elect remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker and upholding our sanctuary laws,” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said. 

ICE operations in New York have drawn criticism from elected officials, including the recent detention of a man in Washington Heights, an operation targeting street vendors on Manhattan’s Canal Street, as well as continuing operations at 26 Federal Plaza.

There have also been numerous protests over ICE operations in New York City to date.

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