Border Czar Tom Homan said Monday that New York City should expect the largest deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the city's history, a response to Gov. Kathy Hochul's recent legislative package limiting state cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

"You are going to see more ICE agents than you have ever seen in New York City. And it's coming. I just reviewed an operational plan. I'm not going to tell you exactly when it's going to happen, but it's coming," Homan said during a Monday appearance on Fox News's "Fox and Friends."

"I'm keeping my promise. We are going to send more ICE agents to New York because you took away the efficiencies of safe arrests in county jails," he added.

Hochul signed the legislation last month. The package bans law enforcement officers from wearing masks, prevents state and local authorities from engaging in civil immigration enforcement, and bars federal agencies from using state or local facilities for immigration purposes.

In early May, Homan warned Hochul against signing the legislation, arguing that without cooperation from county jails, ICE would need to conduct more neighborhood operations. "If we can work with the sheriffs and arrest the bad guy in the safety and security of the jail, that means less teams into the neighborhoods, which causes a lot of panic," he said at the time.

What the Right Is Saying

Homan and administration officials argue that states cannot pick and choose which federal laws to enforce. "Sanctuary policies don't make communities safer — they make them targets," Homan said Monday, echoing language used by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in recent public statements.

Republican lawmakers from New York criticized what they called Hochul's "political theater" at the expense of public safety. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said the legislation "ties the hands of law enforcement while doing nothing to address the root causes of crime."

Conservative commentators have framed Homan's announcement as a test case for federal-state authority on immigration. The America First Legal Foundation, led by Stephen Miller, has signaled interest in challenging similar laws in court, though no litigation has been filed regarding New York's statute.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups have defended the legislation as a necessary check on federal overreach. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who sponsored portions of the bill, argued that the measures protect public safety by ensuring all residents feel safe cooperating with law enforcement regardless of immigration status.

"Communities are safer when everyone — including immigrants — trusts local police," Myrie said in a statement. "This legislation ensures New York remains a place where witnesses come forward and victims seek help."

The New York Immigration Coalition called the state's action a "defense of constitutional principles" and accused the Trump administration of weaponizing immigration enforcement for political purposes. The group noted that similar laws in California, New Jersey, and Virginia have withstood legal challenge.

Mayor Eric Adams has taken a middle path, expressing support for the legislation while also calling for federal collaboration on public safety matters. His office declined to comment specifically on Homan's announcement but reiterated that the city would not impede lawful ICE operations in courthouses or criminal detention facilities.

What the Numbers Show

ICE enforcement in New York City has fluctuated significantly over the past decade. According to agency data compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, ICE arrests in the New York City metropolitan area fell from 14,068 in fiscal year 2019 to 4,892 in fiscal year 2021 during the Biden administration's narrower enforcement priorities.

Under the current administration, arrest numbers have climbed. Fiscal year 2025 data shows approximately 11,200 ICE arrests in the greater New York region, according to TRAC statistics. The agency does not break out city-specific figures for operational security reasons.

New York City is home to an estimated 1.1 million foreign-born residents without current legal permanent status, according to Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates. That population represents roughly 13% of the city's total residents.

The Hochul legislation was estimated by the state budget office to have minimal direct fiscal impact but could affect federal funding relationships worth approximately $3 billion annually related to law enforcement partnerships.

The Bottom Line

The confrontation between New York and the federal government enters a new phase with Homan's announcement. While the governor's legislation limits cooperation, it does not prevent ICE from operating in the city — it simply forces agents to work without state assistance in county jail transfers and facility access.

Legal experts are divided on whether the state's restrictions face constitutional challenges. The Supreme Court's 2012 Arizona v. United States decision upheld federal supremacy in immigration enforcement but did not explicitly address whether states could prohibit their own officials from assisting, a distinction some legal scholars argue is key.

The timeline for increased operations remains unclear. Homan declined to specify dates or numbers, saying only that the operational plan had been reviewed and approved at senior levels of DHS. Hochul's office did not respond to requests for comment on how the state would respond to heightened enforcement activity.