Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday morning placed the blame for the attack of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer on New York City Mayor Eric Adams and his city’s sanctuary policies.
Noem said one of the two suspects in Saturday’s attack entered the U.S. during the Biden administration and had been shielded from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city.
“He was arrested four different times in New York City and, because of the mayor’s policies and sanctuary city policies, was released back to do harm to people and individuals living in this city,” Noem said.
“Make no mistake—this officer is in the hospital today fighting for his life because of the policies of the mayor of this city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe.”
Newsweek reached out to Adams’ office for comment via email Monday morning.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images/AP Photo/George Walker IV
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has viewed sanctuary cities and states as barriers to federal immigration enforcement, with local police not involved in ICE activity. Adams has said he supports ICE when it comes to seeking out suspected illegal immigrants and was seen to have been far more cooperative than his counterparts in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.
What To Know
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez and Christhian Aybar-Berroa in connection with the shooting in Fort Washington Park under the George Washington Bridge in upper Manhattan on Saturday night.
Footage released by the agency showed two armed men approach an off-duty CBP officer at a park before exchanging gunfire.
Nunez was initially taken into custody by U.S. Border Patrol in April 2023 after crossing the southern border in Arizona. He was later released into the United States pending further immigration proceedings.
Nunez has been arrested multiple times by law enforcement agencies since his arrival in the United States, according to DHS.
On October 11, 2023, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) charged him with felony grand larceny, petit larceny and reckless driving.
In October 2024, he was arrested and charged with assault in the second and third degrees, followed by an arrest for criminal contempt in November of the same year. He was arrested again for criminal contempt in January 2025.
In February 2025, the Leominster Police Department in Massachusetts issued a criminal warrant for his arrest in connection with an armed robbery involving a firearm.
Nunez was issued a removal order in November 2024 after failing to appear at an immigration hearing.
Aybar-Berroa was apprehended by federal agents on Monday.
He is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and entered the United States without authorization in 2022. According to DHS, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal against him in 2023.
Aybar-Berroa has a criminal record in New York City, including arrests on charges of reckless endangerment and larceny. Noem said that detainers requesting his transfer into federal custody were not honored by local authorities.
Aybar-Berroa was released from local custody before ICE agents could detain him.
Noem’s assertion that New York’s sanctuary policies led to the attack repeats a similar message to others from the White House since January—that the policies prevent ICE from detaining alleged criminals before they can commit serious crimes.
That is despite most sanctuary policies, which differ by location, generally allowing police and sheriff’s departments to cooperate with federal agents when it comes to serious and violent criminals.
There have been notable incidents in the past year in New York City involving illegal immigrants, including the death of a woman who was set on fire on the subway.
Adams was seen to make a deal of sorts with the White House in the early days of the second Trump administration, appearing on Fox News with border czar Tom Homan and promising to work with ICE on serious illegal immigrant criminals. The mayor was clear, however, that he did not want the city’s wider undocumented population to live in fear.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters Monday morning: “How many more lives will it take? How many more people have to be hurt and victimized before we have public safety be a number one priority in some of our largest cities? When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies.”
Border czar Tom Homan told reporters Monday: “Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. Hard stop.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, during a press conference: “He [Nunez] has inflicted violence in our city and once he is charged for last night’s crimes, we will be able to add attempted murder to his rap sheet.”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement: “This violent criminal illegal alien [Nunez] had multiple run-ins with NYPD for assault and felony grand larceny before he ambushed and shot a CBP officer.”
What Happens Next
Noem urged sanctuary cities and states to change their policies now, saying leaders there took an oath to protect their citizens. Those leaders have argued that they do, and that it is the federal government’s job to enforce immigration laws.
About the Author
