Audit: ICE Entered NYC Hospitals, Buildings

New York City released an audit on May 22 that found federal immigration authorities had entered hospitals, shelters, foster care sites and other city properties as enforcement activity rose across the five boroughs. The report was ordered under Executive Order 13, which Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani signed on Feb. 6 to review how agencies handle contacts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal immigration authorities. City Hall said agencies will now revise protocols, training and coordination rules in response to the findings. The audit landed after a sharp increase in arrests. Between Jan. 20, 2025, and March 10, 2026, ICE arrested 5,567 people in the New York City area, a 71% increase from the same span at the end of the previous administration, according to the report. More than half of those arrests took place at immigration court at 26 Federal Plaza, the audit said. (nyc.gov) ### Which city facilities did the audit say federal agents entered? The May 22 audit said the city reviewed incidents since January 2025 involving federal immigration authorities at shelters, foster care centers and other city property. City Hall said the multiagency review found intensified targeting of city shelters and increasingly aggressive tactics by federal immigration authorities. (nyc.gov) Executive Order 13 and related City Hall guidance say non-local law enforcement may not enter non-public areas of city property without a judicial warrant, except when authorized by city personnel or in an emergency. City Hall has said those protections apply to shelters, hospitals, schools, parking facilities and other public spaces used for city purposes. (nyc.gov) ### Why did the city launch this review in February? Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 13 on Feb. 6 after saying the city needed a coordinated response to what he described as abusive immigration enforcement. The order directed an interagency review of how city agencies protect access to services, safeguard personal information and respond when federal agents seek entry to city property. (nyc.gov) The Mayor’s Office said the audit covered the Administration for Children’s Services, Department of Correction, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Probation, Department of Social Services, Police Department and New York City Health + Hospitals. New York City Public Schools conducted a separate internal review outside the formal audit process, according to the release. (nyc.gov) ### What does the 71% increase actually measure? The audit said the 71% figure covers ICE arrests in the New York City area from Jan. 20, 2025, through March 10, 2026. The report said the statistic came from the Deportation Data Project, which publishes immigration enforcement data obtained through public-records litigation. (nyc.gov) The report also said about 15% of those arrests were tied to Alternatives to Detention appointments. It cited reporting by THE CITY describing arrests at routine ICE check-ins on Elk Street in Lower Manhattan in June 2025. ### What changes did City Hall say agencies will make now? (nyc.gov) City Hall said on May 22 that agencies will strengthen protections for immigrant New Yorkers and update protocols governing interactions with federal immigration agents. The administration said the recommendations are intended to improve compliance with local laws and reinforce rules on access to city property and handling of requests from federal authorities. (nyc.gov) Mayor Mamdani said in the release that the audit was meant to strengthen compliance with local law and reinforce protections for immigrant communities. Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Faiza N. Ali said the findings would strengthen agency protocols and transparency. ### Where can New Yorkers read the findings and watch for next steps? (nyc.gov) The audit findings were published by the Mayor’s Office on May 22 in the Executive Order 13 Report of Audit Findings and Recommendations. City Hall said implementation will take place in the coming months, with the participating agencies and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs involved in carrying out the changes. (nyc.gov)