Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday criticized New York officials over what he described as widespread noncooperation with federal immigration authorities, saying state and local agencies had remained silent on nearly 15,000 detainer requests involving illegal immigrants accused of serious crimes.

Speaking at a Department of Homeland Security news conference, Mullin said federal authorities had issued 14,766 immigration detainers to New York law enforcement agencies involving migrants facing a combined 47,750 felony charges. He said at least 258 of the individuals covered by those detainers face murder charges. “Silence. Absolute silence is what we’ve got from New York off of those detainers,” Mullin told reporters.

The secretary questioned why local authorities would release individuals facing serious criminal allegations rather than cooperate with federal immigration officials. He accused sanctuary policies of undermining public safety and criticized Democratic leaders for resisting federal immigration enforcement. “Sanctuary politicians ... create an environment for criminal activity to thrive, not for the American citizens to be safe,” Mullin said.

His remarks followed a shooting Thursday in the Bronx involving Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican national who was the subject of a federal immigration enforcement operation. Federal officials said Belgal had a criminal history involving robbery and theft and alleged that he had ties to the Trinitarios gang. According to authorities, Belgal refused officers’ commands and accelerated his SUV into government vehicles before driving toward agents. ICE Executive Associate Director Marcos Charles said officers opened fire because they believed their lives were in danger.

Belgal sustained a superficial neck injury, received medical treatment and was transferred to federal custody. A 5-year-old child was reportedly inside the vehicle during the confrontation. Mullin alleged that New York authorities had released Belgal despite a federal immigration detainer. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the incident and called on President Donald Trump to end immigration enforcement operations in the city. In a post on X, Mamdani described the shooting as “unconscionable and incredibly serious” and wrote, “Get ICE out of our neighborhoods. Get ICE out of our hospitals. Get ICE off our streets. Get ICE away from our children. Abolish ICE.”

Mullin defended the administration’s enforcement policies, arguing that federal authorities were seeking to enforce immigration law consistently rather than selectively. “We’re not picking and choosing which laws to enforce, like these sanctuary politicians,” he said. He also criticized Mamdani and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul over their responses to recent attacks involving New York police officers, saying the outrage should be consistent. “If you actually want justice, you should want justice for actually everyone,” Mullin said.

Hochul called for a full accounting of Thursday’s shooting as federal authorities continued investigating the encounter. The dispute has highlighted the ongoing conflict between the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts and New York Democrats’ opposition to ICE operations.