Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday criticized New York officials for allegedly ignoring nearly 15,000 federal immigration detainers involving illegal immigrants accused of tens of thousands of crimes, accusing sanctuary city politicians of putting criminals ahead of public safety.
Speaking at a Department of Homeland Security news conference, Mullin said federal authorities had issued 14,766 detainers to New York law enforcement agencies for migrants facing a combined 47,750 felony charges, according to the New York Post.
“Silence. Absolute silence is what we’ve got from New York off of those detainers,” Mullin told reporters.
Mullin said at least 258 foreign nationals covered by the detainers face murder charges.
“So you have to ask yourself, why would they release these individuals back onto the streets?” Mullin said.
Mullin accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other Democrat leaders of allowing people accused of serious crimes to remain in communities rather than cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
“Sanctuary politicians … create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for the American citizens to be safe,” Mullin said, according to the Washington Examiner.
The secretary’s criticism followed Thursday’s shooting of Oscar Belgal, 28, a Dominican national with alleged gang ties, during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in the Bronx.
Federal officials said Belgal, who they said had a criminal history involving robbery and theft, refused officers’ commands and accelerated his SUV into government vehicles before driving toward agents.
ICE Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles said officers opened fire because they believed their lives were in danger.
Belgal suffered a superficial neck injury and was treated before being transferred to federal custody.
A 5-year-old child reportedly was inside his vehicle during the confrontation.
Mullin alleged that Belgal had ties to the Trinitarios gang and accused New York authorities of releasing him despite a federal immigration detainer.
In a post on X, Mamdani called the shooting “unconscionable and incredibly serious” and demanded that President Donald Trump end immigration enforcement operations in New York City.
“I will not stand by while ICE agents terrorize our communities,” Mamdani wrote on social media.
“Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children. Abolish ICE.”
Mullin defended the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies, saying they were intended to protect American citizens.
“We’re not picking and choosing which laws to enforce, like these sanctuary politicians,” Mullin said.
The secretary also criticized Mamdani and Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul over their responses to recent attacks involving New York police officers.
“The outrage should be the same,” Mullin said. “If you actually want justice, you should want justice for actually everyone.”
Hochul called for a full accounting of Thursday’s shooting as federal authorities continued investigating the incident.
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