The Trump administration is renewing its criticism of sanctuary cities following the Saturday shooting of a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer in New York City.
The officer was off-duty with friends at Fort Washington Park in Manhattan when two men on a moped approached them in an attempted robbery. One of the suspects shot the officer multiple times in the face and arm. The officer returned fire with his service weapon, striking one of the assailants and causing the second to flee.
On Monday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Czar Tom Homan blamed New York City’s sanctuary policies for enabling the violence. Noem called on “every single mayor in a sanctuary city and sanctuary city governor to change their policies and to change their tactics right now.”
“Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals,” Homan added.
President Donald Trump echoed the condemnation, writing on social media over the weekend that left-wing leaders “have flooded our Nation with Criminal Invaders, and now, they must all be thrown out.”
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott also spoke at a press conference Monday, saying, “We should not be here today. The reason these two assailants are inside the United States today is because of failed border policies by the Biden administration.”
The officer is reported to be in stable condition. The primary suspect, Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, is a Dominican Republic national with a lengthy criminal record including grand larceny, assault, criminal contempt, and armed robbery. He was taken into custody after the shooting. The second suspect, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, also from the Dominican Republic, was arrested on Monday, according to Noem.
