Two federal immigration officials shared their support on Thursday for reopening the ICE office at the Rikers Island jail complex, following a report by The Post.
Both officials expressed that reopening the office is the right decision.
Assistant Director of Field Operations Todd Lyons stated on LinkedIn that reestablishing the ICE unit at Rikers would streamline the process of taking custody of foreign-born criminal offenders.
ICE New York Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo also expressed his support.
“Sanctuary policies only protect the criminals,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page. “This insanity needs to stop!”
This feedback follows a recent call from a city lawmaker to reopen the ICE office, which has been closed since 2015 when former Mayor Bill de Blasio shut it down.
City Councilman Robert Holden emphasized the need for the office due to an increase in migrant-related crimes, attributing it to the city’s sanctuary status.
Sanctuary cities like New York do not cooperate with federal immigration officials, often refusing to hold criminal migrants for deportation by ICE agents.
Although Mayor Eric Adams has previously supported sanctuary city status, he recently hinted at potentially loosening restrictions for law-breaking migrants, drawing skepticism from Holden.
Both ICE officials and the mayor’s office did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
However, a spokesperson for Adams stated that undoing the sanctuary designation would require action from the city council, as the mayor is obligated to respect the city’s sanctuary laws.
“We must also address the nation’s border policies that have contributed to this situation,” the spokesperson added.
Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy
