The White House on Saturday accused New York City of sanctuary-city policies that, it said, have contributed to violent crime and disorder by limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis sharply criticized Democratic leaders, saying they should stop releasing undocumented immigrants accused of crimes from local jails into New York communities.
“These reckless policies have consequences, and too often innocent Americans pay the price,” Bis said. She accused what she called “extreme Democrats” of placing criminal defendants ahead of US citizens.
The Trump administration is also defending the ICE agents who shot Oscar Belgal, 28, in the Bronx on Thursday. Federal officials argue the confrontation might have been prevented if the NYPD had transferred suspects to immigration authorities before releasing them.
According to sources and court records, Belgal, a Dominican national, had a substantial criminal history but remained at liberty under New York’s bail and sanctuary policies.
Belgal is believed to have entered the United States illegally in about 2022. The following year, authorities say, he robbed a person at gunpoint in Fordham Heights. He was convicted in 2025 and allegedly apprehended months later in connection with drug sales. Sources also claim he had links to a violent street gang.
The administration has cited Belgal’s case alongside several other high-profile incidents involving suspects who had previously been arrested and released by the NYPD.
D’Angelo Caraballo and Sneider Mejia Bautista, the undocumented immigrants accused of stabbing off-duty NYPD Detective Jose Mercedes last week, had each previously been arrested on unrelated charges and released, according to authorities. Investigators say the pair approached Mercedes on an e-bike and attempted to steal his gold chain. When he resisted, officials allege, he was stabbed seven times.
Cristian Aybar-Berroa, 22, and Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, who are accused of shooting an off-duty Customs and Border Protection agent during a July moped robbery in Manhattan’s Fort Washington Park, had also been arrested and released by the NYPD.
Aybar-Berroa entered the country illegally in 2022 amid a surge in migration during the Biden administration. Although a federal immigration judge ordered his deportation in 2023, the NYPD arrested him eight times and he was released after each incident, according to the report.
Mora Nunez had multiple arrests in New York, including two in August 2024 after he allegedly assaulted a pregnant woman, The Post previously reported. Authorities in Massachusetts were also seeking him in connection with weapons and kidnapping charges.
Richard Williams, an 83-year-old Air Force veteran, died of a brain hemorrhage after a Honduran national allegedly pushed him onto the F/Q subway tracks in Manhattan in March. The suspect had reportedly been deported four times.
Police identified the suspect as Bairon Posada-Hernandez and described him as a “serial criminal” with at least 15 charges on his record, including allegations of simple assault, domestic violence and obstruction of justice.
In another case cited by the administration, Tren de Aragua member José Antonio Ibarra was arrested and released by the NYPD the year before he murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she jogged at the University of Georgia in 2024. Ibarra had reportedly been stopped for riding a scooter with his 2-year-old child, who was not wearing a helmet, and was also wanted on an arrest warrant in Georgia.
The incidents have intensified the national debate over sanctuary-city policies. Federal officials argue that when local agencies decline to cooperate with immigration enforcement, people accused of serious crimes can remain on the streets.
White House border czar Tom Homan criticized sanctuary policies during a Saturday appearance on Fox News. He also defended the ICE officers who opened fire on Belgal’s vehicle while his 5-year-old son was inside.
“They performed exactly as they were trained,” Homan said. He claimed Belgal attempted to run over an officer, adding that the agent feared for his life and responded accordingly.
Homan said many such confrontations could be prevented if federal immigration officials were allowed to take custody of suspects inside jails, rather than having them released into the community.
The NYPD has maintained that its ability to cooperate with immigration authorities is restricted by New York law.
Law enforcement specialists warn that the debate over sanctuary policies carries public-safety implications that extend beyond individual court cases.
“Several states have challenged federal immigration enforcement in ways that, in my view, create unnecessary risks for civilians,” said Michael Alcazar, retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“By prohibing local police from assisting ICE during operations, they limit the ability to maintain a safe and controlled environment.”
Additional reporting by Tina Moore
