DHS Accuses NYC of Releasing Guinean Man Who Assaulted Officer Despite Federal Hold

The Department of Homeland Security reported that New York City authorities released Alpha Bah, a Guinean national, after he was charged with assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Federal records show that Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking on October 7, 2026, requesting that the city keep Bah in custody. DHS states that the New York City Police Department ignored the request and released Bah without notifying federal agents. As of the latest report, authorities have not located Bah.

Bah faces charges including aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration. He was also charged with intent to obtain transportation without paying. According to DHS, this is the second time ICE has asked New York City to hold Bah. In June 2026, after a similar fare evasion charge, ICE filed a detainer with Manhattan Central Booking. The NYPD released him on that occasion as well.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized the release in comments to Fox News Digital. "This is the vision of sanctuary politicians in a nutshell," Mullin said. He argued that border policies from the Biden administration allowed Bah into the United States, and that New York officials later released him without informing ICE. In a separate statement, Mullin noted that Bah remains at large and that the city refused to honor the detainer.

Mullin directed his criticism at state and city leaders, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stop their sanctuary policies. "Knock it off with these evil sanctuary policies before another American gets hurt, or worse," Mullin said. DHS data indicates Bah entered the country illegally in November 2023 and lived in Arizona before a U.S. Border Patrol arrest. He was arrested again in January 2025 for criminal trespassing but was released before ICE could file a detainer.

New York State and City leaders have implemented rules that limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. Governor Hochul signed legislation in May that bars state law enforcement agencies from entering into official agreements with ICE. Mayor Mamdani signed an executive order reaffirming the city's status as a sanctuary for all New Yorkers. That order restricted federal immigration enforcement on city property and created an audit to verify compliance among city agencies.

DHS stated that ICE partnerships with local law enforcement are essential for removing criminal illegal aliens from communities. The department claimed that seven of the ten safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. Neither Hochul's office nor Mamdani's office had responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital at the time of reporting.