Homan Warns: Massive ICE Operations Headed for NYC

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s chief border-policy official—often referred to as the “border czar”—has announced that federal immigration-enforcement teams are already conducting operations in New York City, with more agents on the way.

Homan warned that the administration is preparing a tough response to the city’s “sanctuary” policies, saying thousands of additional ICE officers will be deployed to New York City. He added that these deployments would take place even before mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is sworn in on January 1.

In an interview with Fox News, Homan said ICE agents are “on the ground,” and their presence will increase further after the City Council canceled a previous agreement granting ICE access to Rikers Island jail.

“We are coming to New York City,” he said. “We want local authorities to cooperate. If they don’t, we will still have to arrest individuals who pose threats to public safety—though that means putting our agents at greater risk by doing it in the streets.”

The warning comes as Mamdani said he has contacted the White House to discuss the city’s housing-cost crisis and federal support. Mamdani—an avowed Democratic Socialist who once vowed to make the city “Trump-proof”—struck a more conciliatory tone, saying he is willing to talk to “anyone” to help New Yorkers facing economic hardship. He also pledged $165 million for legal assistance for immigrants.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is considering opening a new migrant detention facility on a Coast Guard site in Staten Island. Federal officials recently toured the Fort Wadsworth installation. Many migrants arrested in New York are currently transported to out-of-state detention centers.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned Monday that Trump’s potential actions—from flooding the city with ICE officers to deploying the National Guard—would have “counterproductive” economic consequences for both New York City and the nation.

She emphasized that New York City is the country’s financial center, and destabilizing it could have serious repercussions. Hochul added that she has met with business leaders who intend to make these concerns clear to Trump. “We are the financial center of this country, and shaking that up will have inevitable consequences,” she said.

Trump has already pledged to carry out the largest immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history. Since taking office, ICE has focused heavily on Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston, though its presence in New York has remained less visible.

In recent days, ICE and other federal agencies have also intensified operations in North Carolina. Following Homan’s warning, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Tuesday morning that 207 people had been arrested in raids across the Charlotte area since the weekend. Local outlets reported that arrests took place at shopping centers, country clubs, outside churches, and other public locations.

Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell said she had been alerted that federal immigration agents could enter the city as early as Tuesday, though immigration authorities have not formally confirmed this.

DHS also reported that more than 550,000 deportations were carried out between late January and mid-November. ICE data shows that roughly 180,000 migrants were removed between January 21 and September 20. DHS has not explained the apparent discrepancy between the two figures.