Tom Homan, White House border czar, announced plans to deploy "more ICE agents than you've ever seen" to New York City in response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul signing a law that prohibits local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities in jails [1]. The state law, signed on May 31, 2026, bans 287(g) agreements that allowed local officers and jails to assist ICE in immigrant enforcement [1, 2].
Homan blamed Hochul for effectively "killing" the 287(g) agreements, saying, "One agent can arrest one bad guy in the safety and security of the jail, which is safer for the aliens, safer for the agent, safer for the community. But [Hochul] decided to kill all that, so now we've got to send more agents to do the job" [2]. He accused the governor of contradicting herself by claiming to support removing criminal aliens while barring ICE access to local jails. "It's ridiculous. She's lying to the people in New York state," Homan said [2].
The planned ICE surge had been repeatedly threatened but had not materialized by early June 2026 [1]. On June 8, Homan publicly reviewed the plan and vowed, "I made her a promise: you’re going to see more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen in New York City, and it’s coming." The next day, he promised the enforcement would not replicate the January 2026 Minnesota operation that resulted in the deaths of two US citizens. "You will not see a Minnesota. I will not let Minnesota happen," he said [1, 2].
The Minnesota enforcement surge led to 18 ICE-related deaths in custody nationwide this year, including two in Minneapolis [1]. Immigrant rights advocates have warned that tens of millions of visitors expected for upcoming events such as the World Cup and NBA playoffs could face risks of rights violations due to increased ICE actions [1]. The U.S. anticipates about 10 million visitors for the World Cup [1].
The new law and Homan’s planned ICE deployment mark a sharp policy clash between federal immigration enforcement and New York’s state government. The ICE surge to New York City remains pending, with no operational details or timelines announced as of mid-June 2026 [1].
