Federal immigration officials conducted 'Operation Rotten Apple,' a five-week ICE enforcement campaign across New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, upstate counties and the North Country, running from July 27 to August 29, 2026, resulting in 2,197 arrests — a more than 40% increase from the previous month. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said those detained included people convicted of murder, rape, kidnapping, drug trafficking and child sexual assault, citing individuals from countries including Ukraine, Colombia, India, Mexico, Venezuela, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Honduras and Vietnam, though officials did not release a full case-by-case breakdown. Officials blamed New York's sanctuary policies, including Gov. Kathy Hochul's order ending local 287(g) agreements with ICE, claiming such policies led to the release of over 13,000 people with criminal records from local jails despite ICE detainer requests. Independent data from the Deportation Data Project, TRAC, and a prior New York Times analysis found most of those arrested had no criminal record, with legal aid attorneys and researchers saying street-level arrests disproportionately affected Latino neighborhoods like Corona, Jackson Heights and Sunset Park. In the North Country, agents detained dozens of immigrant workers, including hotel employees, roofing contractors and restaurant workers in Lake Placid, straining local hospitality businesses, while a pending class-action lawsuit alleges agents are profiling Black and Brown New Yorkers.