Federal immigration authorities conducted a 33-day enforcement operation across New York state, resulting in the arrest of 2,197 individuals in the country illegally, according to a Tuesday announcement by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
The operation, dubbed Operation Rotten Apple, ran from July 27 through August 29 and targeted individuals previously released from jails or prisons. Mullin described the arrested individuals as 'the worst of the worst', including those accused of murder, kidnapping, and rape. 'These arrests included gang members, rapists, murderers, and child predators,' Mullin stated during a press conference in New York City. He emphasized that criminal history is not a determining factor for enforcement, asserting that 'if you are here illegally, regardless of your status, you are still in this country illegally, and it is our job to hunt you down and to deport you.'
The operation comes amid ongoing tensions between federal authorities and New York’s sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. Mullin argued that these policies 'make federal enforcement efforts more difficult and more dangerous' due to what he described as 'a lack of cooperation between federal agents and local police.' He also suggested that New York 'should not receive federal funding' as a result.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul challenged the characterization of those arrested, questioning whether federal authorities were targeting 'serious offenders' or expanding enforcement beyond its stated goals. 'It seems like in the last year and a half, you would have already moved the worst of the worst and the baddest of the bad,' Hochul said. 'And now, to make your quotas, you're going after innocent people. People who are not committing crimes.' She added that she is seeking $87 million in federal funding for police enforcement and counterterrorism efforts, citing a track record of 145 major arrests and disruptions across 10 states over the past three years.
The White House has framed the operation as fulfilling a promise to 'surge ICE officers into sanctuary states' where local law enforcement declines to turn over undocumented immigrants for deportation. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, stated in May that 'over 13,000 illegal immigrants' had been released from jails in New York rather than handed over to federal authorities. 'Democratic politicians in New York and elsewhere say that they care about public safety, but won’t let immigration law enforcement officers into their jails to take criminals into custody,' Homan said. 'President Trump is a law and order president who delivers on his promises.'
Nationwide, ICE arrests have surged this summer, with daily arrests averaging 1,593 in early July—up from a previous record of just over 1,300 per day in June. The operation in New York represents a significant escalation in immigration enforcement, with federal officials framing it as a public safety measure to remove individuals deemed threats. Critics, including Hochul, argue that the sweep has overreached, targeting individuals without criminal records and undermining state policies aimed at protecting immigrant communities.