Despite Trump Admin Pressure, NYPD Refuses To Hand Any Immigrants to ICE

Federal immigration authorities dramatically ramped up pressure on New York City law enforcement last year, sending thousands more requests to detain or transfer individuals-requests the city’s police department overwhelmingly refused.

The findings from an audit of sanctuary policies ordered by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani showed that while arrests of immigrants surged under the Trump administration, many of the protections granted by sanctuary status held up over 2025, despite calls from the White House for such cities and states to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The City Hall report uncovered concerns about how NYC agencies reported on federal agencies, with Mamdani approving updates to the city’s sanctuary policies.

"New York City is home to immigrants from every corner of the world, and no one should live in fear because of their status," Mamdani said in a press release. "This audit was a critical step towards strengthening compliance with our local laws and reinforcing New York City's protections for immigrant communities.

“I am proud to share key findings and recommendations from the audit that will ensure that we are responding to the changing nature of federal immigration enforcement and protecting the rights of all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status."

NYPD Ignores ICE Detainers: What To Know

The new audit of city agencies found that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) received 3,672 immigration detainer requests in fiscal year 2025, up from just 99 the year before, marking a more than thirtyfold increase.

The Department of Corrections saw a similar surge, with 895 detainer requests in 2025, an increase of more than 120 percent compared to 2024.

Despite the spike in requests from ICE, compliance remained rare. The NYPD did not transfer any individuals to federal immigration custody in response to those requests, while correction officials complied in just 2.7 percent of cases, limited to narrow exceptions under local law.

At the same time, the audit identified isolated failures, including instances in which a correction officer and an NYPD officer improperly assisted federal authorities, in violation of city policy.

ICE Arrest Surge and Enforcement Shift

The broader context for those tensions is a sharp rise in immigration arrests across the New York City area, particularly of those attending immigration hearings and appointments.

According to the audit, ICE carried out 5,567 arrests in the New York City area between January 20, 2025, and March 10, 2026, a 71 percent increase compared with the same period under the previous administration.

The data also reveal a shift in where and how arrests are taking place:

• More than half of the arrests occurred at immigration court in Lower Manhattan
• About 15 percent were tied to ICE's Alternatives to Detention program, meaning individuals were detained during required check-ins or while complying with supervision rules

Arrests were also reported in homes and community settings, including city shelters, reflecting a broader enforcement footprint that extends beyond traditional targeted operations.

City officials say these trends illustrate how enforcement has become more embedded in routine interactions, making it harder for local agencies to anticipate and respond.

NYC's Sanctuary Policies, Explained

New York City has long maintained a set of local laws designed to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, often referred to as "sanctuary" protections.

These laws generally prohibit city agencies, including the NYPD and Department of Correction, from honoring civil immigration detainer requests or sharing information with federal authorities, except in limited circumstances involving serious criminal convictions.

They also restrict federal immigration agents' access to sensitive city locations, such as shelters, hospitals, and schools, and require agencies to report requests for information or assistance from federal authorities.

The new audit does not roll back those protections. Instead, it tightens enforcement of them, focusing on ensuring agencies consistently apply rules, properly document encounters, and avoid unauthorized cooperation.

Among the key changes:

• Expanded requirements to document all interactions with federal immigration authorities
• New quarterly reporting timelines to improve transparency
• Clearer guidance for staff on how to handle ICE presence at city facilities
• Enhanced legal review of federal requests for information or access

Officials say the goal is not to increase cooperation but to ensure the city fully understands when and how federal immigration enforcement is happening within its systems.

What It Means

The audit suggests that New York City's sanctuary framework remains largely intact in practice, particularly in its refusal to honor most detainer requests, but it also reveals a system under strain from rising federal enforcement activity and internal challenges in tracking it.

By tightening reporting rules, strengthening oversight, and formalizing how agencies respond to federal authorities, city leaders are attempting to close those gaps without altering the underlying policy: limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement while maintaining public transparency.

Whether those changes will keep pace with the evolving tactics of federal agencies remains an open question-but the data point to a rapidly shifting landscape that city officials say they can no longer afford to track only partially.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 1:31 PM.