In a rare firsthand look at the intense street operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York City, Fox News Digital embedded with agents conducting high-stakes arrests, witnessing the surveillance, stakeouts, and split-second decisions involved. Ken Genalo, head of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York City, vehemently criticized local and state sanctuary policies, arguing they obstruct public safety and force agents onto streets to apprehend individuals who should have been transferred from local jails. “100% all of this is about politics. It is not about public safety,” Genalo stated during an early-morning operation where agents apprehended two men, including one charged with sexual abuse and another with a history of assault and weapons offenses who had been ordered deported in 2006. Genalo highlighted the frustration of having to track down individuals with serious criminal records, such as a migrant with multiple felony charges who had only been in the U.S. for three years, and contrasted the agency’s efforts with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s public advisories on how to interact with ICE, which Genalo views as undermining law enforcement. The operation, part of a larger statewide crackdown that led to nearly 2,200 arrests in August, underscored the meticulous planning and inherent risks faced by ICE agents, including potential disruptions from agitators warning targets of their approach. Genalo expressed dismay over the lack of cooperation from New York authorities, citing instances where ICE detainers were ignored, leading to dangerous individuals remaining in the community, and lamented the breakdown of collaboration that once allowed for direct transfers from local jails, attributing the current situation to political decisions he believes prioritize ideology over the safety of New Yorkers.
Adapted from: Latest & Breaking News on Fox News
