DHS Secretary Mullin rips New York leaders after Operation Rotten Apple nets over 2,100 arrests

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced more than 2,100 arrests of convicted criminals across New York State in a single month, and laid the blame for their presence squarely on the governor and mayor who refused to cooperate.

Mullin held a press conference at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in New York City on September 1, 2026, unveiling the results of a federal enforcement sweep called Operation Rotten Apple. The operation ran for 33 days, from July 27 through August 29, and ICE agents arrested 2,197 illegal immigrants statewide, without help from city or state law enforcement.

The secretary did not explain why the federal government had to act alone. He named New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul directly, accusing both of shielding violent offenders from federal immigration enforcement through sanctuary policies and deliberate obstruction.

Mullin calls out Mamdani's $22 million NYPD budget cut

Mullin framed the operation as a direct response to local Democratic leadership. He told reporters:

"Operation Rotten Apple was initiated because New York City has a liberal, socialist mayor who, instead of working with law enforcement, tried to cut NYPD's budget by $22 million and refused to cooperate with federal law enforcement. You also have a governor who refuses to work with us. Over the last 30 days, Operation Rotten Apple has taken over 2,100 of the worst criminals off our streets statewide."

The accusation carries weight. Mullin cited Mamdani's own words from earlier this summer, when the mayor reportedly called ICE raids "cruel, inhumane and do nothing to protect public safety." Mullin fired back at the characterization point by point.

"Are you telling me that taking these arrested individuals off the street is not in the interest of public safety? We took them off the streets to protect New Yorkers, while the mayor refuses to cooperate and attempts to slash NYPD's budget. He is extremely out of touch with what the American people want and what public safety looks like."

Neither Mamdani's office nor Hochul's office provided a response to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Their silence leaves Mullin's charges unanswered in the public record.

Arrested suspects include a fugitive wanted by INTERPOL for rape

Mullin spotlighted specific cases to illustrate the kind of individuals sanctuary policies had left free on New York streets. Among those arrested: a 39-year-old Indian national who carries an INTERPOL red notice for an alleged rape charged in Germany, and a 50-year-old Ukrainian citizen convicted of kidnapping, abduction, weapons possession, and murder. Mullin referenced a third foreign national with a violent criminal history but did not provide identifying details during the press conference.

The New York Post reported that those arrested also included convicted child predators and gang members. A Colombian national arrested for child sexual assault was among the cases cited by the department.

Mullin did not hold back on the broader implications:

"These individuals should never have been on our streets. While radical-left sanctuary states protect illegal immigrants, the Trump administration and ICE officers are out there every day protecting Americans."

The arrests come amid a historic surge in ICE enforcement nationwide. Immigration arrests hit a record 43,000 in June 2026, and the numbers have continued to climb. By July, ICE made nearly 50,000 arrests across the country, the highest monthly rate ever recorded, according to the Washington Examiner.

Hochul accused of freeing 13,000 illegal immigrants back onto the streets

Mullin reserved pointed criticism for Governor Hochul, accusing her of terminating 287(g) agreements, the federal program that allows local police departments to coordinate directly with ICE agents on immigration enforcement. Without those agreements, local officers cannot hold suspects for federal pickup, and illegal immigrants with criminal records cycle back through the revolving door.

The consequences, Mullin said, are measurable. He claimed New York's Democratic politicians "successfully lobbied for the release of over 13,000 illegal immigrants" rather than turning them over to federal authorities. The Washington Examiner's reporting corroborated that figure, noting that New York had released more than 13,000 illegal immigrants from jail instead of transferring them to ICE custody.

New York's resistance to federal enforcement has also taken legislative form. Breitbart reported that the state's Local Crimes, Local Cop Act took effect on August 25, forcing county sheriffs to cancel their ICE contracts and barring cooperation with immigration authorities. The law went into effect four days before Operation Rotten Apple concluded, a timeline that underscores the widening gap between Albany and Washington on immigration enforcement.

Mullin made clear the federal government intends to fill the void that local politicians have created. "Because local leadership refuses to cooperate through the 287(g) program, we will send as many personnel as necessary to restore law and order," he said. "President Trump loves New York and is committed to restoring safety here alongside ICE and DHS."

Seven of the safest cities cooperate with ICE, Mullin says

The secretary drew a direct line between public safety outcomes and willingness to work with federal immigration enforcement. "Keep in mind that seven of the safest cities in the country cooperate with ICE and the 287(g) program," he said, though he did not name the cities or cite the underlying data.

He also described a split between local law enforcement officers and the politicians who oversee them. "In private, almost every sheriff and police chief wants to work with us," Mullin said. "They took an oath to enforce the law, but radical local politicians prevent them from doing their jobs." He thanked sheriffs who have resisted political pressure and stood by their constituents.

That tension between officers who want to cooperate and officials who forbid it has played out in jurisdictions across the country. In Utah, two former court clerks face federal charges for allegedly helping illegal immigrants dodge ICE arrest, a case that illustrates how deeply the obstruction runs in some institutions.

Mullin framed the enforcement push as something that transcends partisan lines. "Restoring law and order is an issue supported by 80% of the public across party lines," he claimed, without citing the specific poll or methodology behind the figure.

Border Czar Tom Homan echoed the administration's posture. "Operation Rotten Apple got some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens including murderers, kidnappers, and rapists off New York streets," Homan said, as National Review noted in a broader assessment of his tenure. "President Trump is a law and order president who delivers on his promises."

Mullin himself put it in starker terms at the press conference, referencing the child predators among those arrested:

"These arrests included gang members, rapists, murderers and child predators, which I believe there is a special place in h*** for those individuals."

The operation's results land at a moment when Democratic leaders at every level face growing pressure on immigration. Hochul and Mamdani have staked their positions on sanctuary protections and resistance to federal enforcement. Mullin and the Trump administration have staked theirs on arrest numbers, criminal case files, and the argument that New Yorkers deserve better than what their own elected officials are willing to provide.

Mullin also delivered a broader warning to sanctuary jurisdictions beyond New York. "We won't let sanctuary politicians stand in our way," he said. "If you're a state or local politician, your best bet is to cooperate with us so we can all make America safe again."

Several open questions remain. Mullin did not identify the third violent offender he referenced, did not provide the data behind his claim about the seven safest cities, and did not detail how many federal agents are currently deployed in New York. Neither Hochul nor Mamdani has publicly responded to the specific accusations. The pace of ICE enforcement shows no sign of slowing, and the administration has made clear it will keep escalating until local leaders cooperate, or until federal agents have done the job themselves.

When a city's own mayor calls it "cruel" to arrest convicted murderers and rapists, the problem is not the operation. The problem is the mayor.