NEW YORK — New York City will not honor a federal immigration detainer for a migrant who set a woman on fire aboard a subway train, the federal government is claiming today.
The case has drawn national attention as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem condemned the city’s sanctuary policies.
The suspect, whose immigration status has become a focal point of the case, was taken into custody after allegedly attacking 26-year-old Debrina Kawam on a Coney Island-bound train. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer request with the New York City Department of Correction, seeking to assume custody of the suspect upon release. City officials, citing sanctuary city policies, have indicated they will not comply.
“This is disgusting. New York politicians are allowing the murder of their own citizens,” Noem said in a statement posted to social media. She called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul to issue an emergency order suspending sanctuary protections.
New York City has maintained a long-standing policy of limiting cooperation with ICE detainers unless the individual has been convicted of a serious or violent felony. Officials have not publicly stated whether the suspect meets the city’s criteria for compliance with federal immigration enforcement.
The killing of Kawam has sparked renewed debate over immigration enforcement and sanctuary city policies as officials determine the next legal steps in the case.