Prevent 58,000 Criminal Migrants from Transforming New York into a ‘Sanctuary’

Recent federal data reveals that over 58,000 illegal migrants convicted of felonies or facing charges in their home countries have been permitted entry into the United States by border officials, with many arriving in New York City.

Some of these individuals are incarcerated (funded by taxpayers, naturally) for crimes committed locally, while many others roam freely across the five boroughs, continuing their criminal activities.

Approximately 1,000 belong to organized gangs, utilizing city shelters as operations hubs.

New York’s sanctuary-city policies shield these offenders from deportation.

It’s time to eliminate the sanctuary-for-migrants absurdity and prioritize safety for New York’s lawful residents.

When people hear “sanctuary,” they often interpret it as extending hospitality to those in need. However, sanctuary specifically refers to the practice of prohibiting local police from informing Immigration and Customs Enforcement when an illegal immigrant is arrested.

This practice protects wrongdoers from deportation, enabling them to continue committing additional crimes.

NYPD crime statistics reveal a 90% increase in robberies and a 73% rise in felony assaults in Manhattan’s Midtown North, an area famed for Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and its theater district.

Police reports indicate that 75% of arrests for robberies, assaults, and other crimes in Midtown involve migrants.

How did we get to this point? Migrants are no longer properly screened at the border. The volume is overwhelming, and President Biden’s reduction of detention facilities has compelled border agents to release nearly everyone into the United States immediately, bypassing necessary background checks.

Biden has also imposed new restrictions on ICE, limiting the types of felons who can be deported once their criminal histories come to light. Not all felonies are grounds for disqualification.

Additionally, new rules prevent ICE from deporting illegal immigrants with serious mental health issues, according to a 2024 report from the General Accounting Office.

Candidate Donald Trump repeatedly cautioned against some nations “emptying their prisons and mental institutions,” but Biden welcomed these individuals into the country.

During the previous election campaign, the far-left and their media allies insisted, as noted by The New York Times, that “there is no surge in migrant crime” and that “immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born individuals.” This was a blatant falsehood.

That myth continues to be propagated — as seen in Axios this week, for instance.

Here are the facts: Prior to 2020, the data on illegal migrants’ crime rates was inconsistent.

Proponents on the left cite a limited Texas study claiming US citizens are more likely to be convicted of felonies. However, this data is outdated, applies to a single state, and predates the significant influx of migrants during Biden’s administration.

Conversely, research from the Federation for American Immigration Reform indicates that illegal migrants are significantly more likely to commit crimes leading to imprisonment compared to legal residents — with rates twice as high in New York and California, three times higher in New Jersey, and five times higher in Arizona.

Regardless of past statistics, the current risk posed by migrants stems from the lack of vetting.

The alarming number of criminal migrants — 58,000 — settling in New York City should alert politicians who support migration-friendly policies.

Sanctuary-city regulations that protect migrants from deportation when they commit additional crimes are nonsensical.

Mayor Adams has consistently advocated for changes to sanctuary policies. Yet he claims there is little he can do, as the overwhelming majority in the City Council are anti-police and lenient towards crime.

He could have urged his own Charter Revision Commission to put a repeal of sanctuary protections to a vote last month, but he chose not to.

Adams must stop hesitating and request Governor Hochul to issue an emergency order to suspend sanctuary protections.

This would enable ICE to commence the deportation of known criminals from the streets of Gotham, with the support of the NYPD.

Everyone — except the criminals — would benefit from increased safety.

Achieving a permanent resolution will require city voters to emerge at the polls next November and elect a City Council that prioritizes their safety over criminals.

In the previous municipal elections, only 7.2% participated in the primary, and 12.8% for the general election. The soft-on-crime leftists prevailed.

If New Yorkers desire a safer city, they must vote accordingly.

Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York and co-founder of the Committee to Save Our City.