Federal officials blame sanctuary-city policies after off-duty CBP officer wounded in New York and vow stepped-up enforcement

An off‑duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was wounded in a Saturday evening robbery in New York City, federal officials said at a news briefing, and Department of Homeland Security leaders blamed sanctuary‑city policies and federal immigration enforcement changes for allowing the suspect to remain in the country.

Secretary Christine Elma of the Department of Homeland Security said the officer and a friend were attacked and that the officer used his service weapon to defend them. Officials identified one suspect as Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, described by speakers as a Dominican national who "was entering into this country illegally back in 2023" and who, they said, had prior arrests and an active Massachusetts warrant. Officials said a second suspect was detained after the incident.

Why it matters: federal officials tied the attack to their broader criticism of local policies that, they said, result in people with criminal histories remaining in communities. At the briefing, leaders from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal enforcement officials called for local cooperation on detainers and said they would increase federal enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions.

Officials' accounts and immediate details

Elma, introduced as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the officer was off duty when he and his friend were attacked by two people and that "he had his service weapon with him and was able to defend himself and his friend and injured one of those individuals that was trying to do them harm." Officials said the wounded suspect later sought medical treatment and was taken into custody; the second individual was detained as well.

Rodney Scott, identified as the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other federal speakers attributed the encounter to what they described as lax local and federal policies. Scott told reporters, "This was 100% preventable. It was caused by bad policy, and it could be fixed with good policy." He and other speakers urged local leaders to honor federal detainers and to partner with federal agencies so "we can actually root out these criminals from our neighborhoods."

Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane Sabatino of CBP's Office of Field Operations and Frank Russo, director of field operations for CBP's New York field office, described visiting the wounded officer and thanked medical personnel and local partners for their response. Sabatino said CBP invests in training and vigilance and described the incident as a crime of opportunity. Russo said the agency's employees have a history of service in the building at One World Trade Center and that "our hearts are with him and his family as he recovers."

Claims and figures cited at the briefing

Speakers repeated several statistics and assertions about enforcement and criminal histories. A federal official at the briefing said the wounded suspect had been arrested four times in New York City prior to this incident and listed prior charges alleged by speakers, including grand larceny, assault and an active warrant from Massachusetts for armed robbery. One speaker said federal agents had recorded a recent increase in violence against officers and cited arrest totals for ICE operations that they characterized as focused on criminals; those figures were presented by speakers and were not independently verified at the briefing.

Planned and proposed federal actions

Federal officials said they will increase CBP and ICE presence in New York City and similar jurisdictions and use "every tool at our disposal" to pursue people they characterize as public‑safety threats. Speakers asked local agencies to cooperate with federal detainers and said they would continue joint operations and task‑force activity where possible.

What officials did not confirm at the briefing

Officials did not provide court records or independent documentation for the criminal history they cited for the named suspect; details such as whether a current ICE detainer was active at the time of prior releases were described in general terms but not confirmed on the record. Officials also advanced policy claims about the causes of the attack and broader enforcement strategies; those claims were presented as the speakers' positions.

Next steps and ongoing matters

Federal officials said investigations and prosecutions are continuing. They asked for privacy and prayers for the wounded officer and called for community members and local officials to support enforcement efforts; they also urged the public to report crime. The briefers said they will keep pressing for local cooperation on detainers and for increased federal operations in jurisdictions they described as sanctuary cities.