DHS Statement Criticizes New York Sanctuary Policies, Cites Crime Victims
Published Oct 12, 2026
DHS issued a statement from Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticizing New York Governor Kathy Hochul's sanctuary policies, saying they allow undocumented immigrants to avoid ICE detainers. The statement lists several cases in which people released despite ICE detainers later committed violent crimes.
Key points
- Secretary Mullin said New York's sanctuary policies let undocumented immigrants with criminal records avoid ICE detainers and remain free.
- The statement cites the 2024 killing of Laken Riley in Georgia and the March 2026 subway shove death of Richard Williams in New York City.
- It also cites an October 2026 stabbing of an off duty NYPD detective in the Bronx and a 2025 shooting of an off duty CBP officer.
- DHS calls on Governor Hochul and other sanctuary jurisdiction officials to end these policies.
- The release is a policy statement, not a new rule, regulation or enforcement action.
Who is affected
Residents of New York and other sanctuary jurisdictions, as well as immigration enforcement stakeholders, are referenced in this statement.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-12. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
Home
News
Press Releases
DHS Highlights Victims of Illegal Alien Crime in Sanctuary New York
Release Date: October 12, 2026
Americans have been murdered, shot, stabbed, and raped by illegal aliens allowed to roam free by Kathy Hochul’s sanctuary New York
WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement acknowledging the victims of illegal alien crime as a result of the reckless sanctuary policies of Governor Kathy Hochul’s New York.
“Governor Hochul’s sanctuary policies have been a disaster for New York and the rest of the country,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “On her watch, illegal aliens have been allowed to roam the streets freely, and have even been released from custody despite ICE detainers. As a result, innocent Americans have been murdered, shot, stabbed, and raped by these illegal aliens in New York and other states. DHS condemns these reckless and evil sanctuary policies and demands that Governor Hochul and her fellow sanctuary politicians put a stop to this before any more innocent lives are lost.”
Among the victims of New York’s sanctuary policies are:
Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was studying at Augusta University in Georgia. While she was out jogging, she was sexually assaulted and then murdered by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal alien from Venezuela and Tren de Aragua gang member, in February 2024. Ibarra had previously been arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in August 2023 for recklessly driving a motorcycle with a 2-year-old child who was not wearing a helmet. He was released due to New York’s sanctuary policies, and Ibarra went on to murder Laken six months later.
On March 8, 2026, 83-year-old Richard Williams – a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a grandfather, and a cancer survivor – was violently shoved onto New York City subway tracks, along with another bystander, by Bairon Posada-Hernandez, an illegal alien from Honduras who had previously been deported FOUR TIMES. Williams died of his injuries nine days later. ICE lodged a detainer for Posada-Hernandez after his arrest.
On October 2, an off-duty NYPD detective was stabbed by two illegal aliens in an attempted robbery in the Bronx. The suspects, Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballo and Sneider Mejia Bautista, are both illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic who had previously been arrested by the NYPD, but were released before ICE could lodge detainers against them.
On July 19, 2025, an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was shot by two illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic. Both suspects, Cristian Aybar Berroa and Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, had been repeatedly arrested by the NYPD but had been released prior to the shooting.
On June 6, 2026, a 16-year-old girl was walking home in Huntington, New York, when she was sexually assaulted by Aureliano Antonio Melendez Reyes, an illegal alien from El Salvador. She managed to break free and called 911 as she ran from him, even while he was still pursuing her. Police arrived on the scene and took him into custody. ICE lodged a detainer for Reyes after his arrest.
On March 6, 2026, a pedestrian in Indianapolis, Indiana was struck by a semi-truck and hospitalized in critical condition. ICE arrested the driver, Sukhdev Singh, an illegal alien from India, who had been issued a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by Hochul’s New York.
# # #
Homeland Security Enterprise
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Keywords
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Immigration Enforcement
Sanctuary Jurisdiction
Last Updated: 10/12/2026
Original title: DHS Highlights Victims of Illegal Alien Crime in Sanctuary New York
Read the official source ↗ Archived copy (if the original is removed)
Ask how this affects your case
Read the official source ↗ Archived copy (if the original is removed)
This summary was produced with AI from the official announcement. Only the official source is authoritative.