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ICE officials are sounding the alarm about the overwhelming challenge of addressing criminal illegal aliens in New York City. Kenneth Genalo, who heads ICE’s NYC field office, recently highlighted the severity of the situation in discussions with the New York Post.
With a staggering influx of over 223,000 immigrants since spring 2022, Genalo emphasized that “it would take a lifetime to clear the city of the criminals that we have,” given current circumstances.
Leading a team of 400 workers, Genalo’s office faces thousands of daily cases. “The fact is that I have to focus all of my resources on the worst of the worst, the most egregious violators. All I can tell you is we have leads that we work every day — and it’s not in the hundreds,” he revealed to the Post.
The city’s sanctuary policies present additional obstacles for ICE’s enforcement efforts. Genalo expressed his willingness to educate city council members about these policies’ negative impacts, stating, “The only people they’re shielding are the criminals, and they’re shielding the criminals from us.”
He particularly emphasized the vulnerability of immigrant communities: “The majority of these crimes that are being committed are against the most vulnerable people in the community, and that’s the migrant females and the migrant children. I don’t understand how they believe sanctuary policies are helping or assisting.”
ICE data shows that among approximately 7.8 million illegal aliens nationwide, over 660,000 have felony convictions or pending charges.
Mayor Eric Adams has acknowledged the need for policy changes, with Genalo noting, “The mayor knows we need to cooperate. He sees what’s going on in New York City, and he wants help from the federal government.”
Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul criticized recent border control changes, stating, “While the Biden-Harris Administration has achieved measurable success in enhancing southern border security, New York is experiencing a dramatic increase in irregular crossings along our northern border.” She further urged, “We need to expand enforcement at the northern border today, and I call on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reverse this decision.”
