What would mass NYC migrant deportations look like?

As President Donald Trump begins rolling out plans for potentially the "largest deportation program" in U.S. history, New York City is bracing for possible immigration raids.

And if mass deportation happened in the Big Apple, what would it look like? Does the city have a plan for its thousands of migrants?

FOX 5 NY's Jessica Formoso spoke with Manuel Castro, commissioner of the mayor’s office of Immigrant Affairs, to answer some of those questions.

What would mass deportations look like in the US?

Big picture view:

"They’re talking about workplace raids, family separations, restrictions on new immigrants and potentially deporting, they say, 11 to 20 million people," said David Dyssegaard Kallick, director of the Immigration Research Initiative.

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NYPD memo: Officers should not assist with immigration enforcement

In an internal NYPD operations memo obtained by FOX 5 NY, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch reminds officers that local police should not be assisting federal authorities when it comes to immigration enforcement.

Muzaffar Chishti, an attorney and senior fellow and director of the Migration Policy Institute at New York University, believes deportations will happen.

"We have more than 16 million people in the United States who don't have full rights to be here," Chishti said.

But as to how many people could be deported? That remains to be seen.

"I think you have to take the administration on its word that there will be some kind of mass deportation," Chishti said. "What masses? No one knows."

By the numbers:

According to Pew Research Center:

  • The U.S. recorded a record-breaking foreign born population of 47.3 million in 2023, meaning immigrants account for 14.3% of the population.
  • As of 2022, 77% of the immigrants in this country were here legally, with 49% becoming naturalized citizens.
  • About 23% are unauthorized immigrants., and other 4% are legal temporary residents.

Does NYC have a plan?

Over the last 2 and a half years, over 220,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York City, according to city figures. Currently, 51,000 remain under the city's care, but that's not counting the hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants living for years across the city, Castro told FOX 5 NY.

"First thing is to make sure that our city staff at all levels is trained on our sanctuary laws and our sanctuary city policies," Castro said. "Now, as city employees, we cannot cooperate with enforcement, but we also cannot interfere with enforcement."

"Sanctuary" has no legal definition, but the term encompasses a range of protection for immigrants, particularly those living in the U.S. illegally.

What would NYC do if such a plan was carried out?

Local perspective:

The NYPD told employees in a memo that they are not permitted to "assist in any manner with civil immigration enforcement," but also said they must not "take any action that will interfere with or impede civil immigration enforcement undertaken by federal authorities."

But in an apparent warning to the dozens of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions like NYC, the Justice Department has ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials who they believe are interfering with the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Migrants line up outside a migrant re-ticketing center at St. Brigid School on E. 7th St. Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams for New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"There is only so much we can do to protect immigrants," Castro said. "The federal government has said they will enforce immigration law, whether they receive support from cities or not."

"There's so much that's still unknown," Castro added, when asked if New York City Mayor Eric Adams, himself or anyone in the administration has been able to speak to the incoming administration.

What we don't know:

Deportations in cities like New York could happen in the coming days, but it’s unknown exactly when. However, Adams is talking to ICE officials about migrants who have committed crimes.

"People who commit these violent crimes must be addressed, and that is our conversation with ICE," Adams said.

While details of how and when are scarce, Trump said he plans to mobilize the U.S. military to enforce the operation.

Formoso asked Castro if New York had a plan in place if families are separated and if they'd have resources if separations happen. He said the city is considering what the scenario might look like.

The backstory:

In its first major enforcement action under the Trump administration, ICE conducted a nationwide operation resulting in over 460 arrests. The crackdown targeted undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Between Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested individuals with charges or convictions including sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and drug offenses. Arrests occurred in multiple states.

ICE also issued more than 420 detainers – requests to notify ICE when undocumented individuals are released from custody. These requests targeted individuals charged with severe crimes such as homicide, sexual assault and robbery.

Arrests in the first operation included a Honduran national – Franklin Osorto-Cruz – who was convicted of driving while intoxicated. He was arrested in New York.

What they're saying:

According to Trump's border czar Tom Homan, ICE is prioritizing public safety threats, but will also target individuals in sanctuary cities.

"Right out of the gate it’s public safety threats, those who are in the country illegally that have been convicted, arrested for serious crime," Homan said. "But let me be clear. There's not only public safety threats that will be arrested, because in sanctuary cities, we're not allowed to get that public safety threat in the jail, which means we got to go to the neighborhood and find him."

As the landscape of immigration is expected to undergo major changes in 2025, FOX 5 NY will bring you the latest with reporters Jessica Formoso and Stephanie Bertini on the ground.

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