Carol Strone

New York’s Dirty Secret: How Sanctuary Laws Are Letting Violent Gang Members Run Free :Exclusive By @LeeroyPress New York City has become a dangerous game of hide-and-seek — and the criminals are winning. During my time documenting and investigating gang activity across the city, I’ve personally tracked groups of violent migrants right back to the very shelters that were supposed to offer them refuge. These aren't just random thieves — many of them are known gang members, with some even allegedly connected to internationally designated terrorist organizations. According to retired federal agents, retired NYPD officers, and sources within the NYPD, the city's sanctuary city laws have created dangerous gaps in law enforcement’s ability to protect New Yorkers. Each NYPD precinct maintains its own gang database, identifying hundreds of individuals known to be active in gang-related activity. However, due to sanctuary city laws, precincts cannot hand this information over to federal agencies like ICE or HSI, even if those individuals have open deportation orders or criminal detainers. Sure, some high-ranking NYPD bosses will publicly say that they’re working “hand-in-hand” with federal agents to go after gang members, but several retired officers I spoke to paint a very different picture. They describe the cooperation as extremely limited. One retired NYPD officer said, “Realistically, when you see on TV that the federal government ‘teamed up’ with the NYPD, the reality is that the feds did all the heavy lifting. NYPD officers are usually just there to provide some backup.” And the risks for street cops are real. Several NYPD officers told me they wish they could help more, and they know who the bad actors are. But if they get caught tipping off or collaborating with ICE or other federal agents, they could lose their jobs. One officer said city officials are cracking down hard on anyone suspected of even having conversations with federal agencies — the political pressure is immense. We saw this exact failure play out in real life just two weeks ago, when a federal border patrol officer was shot in the face during an encounter with a known gang member. That individual had prior arrests for robbery and kidnapping, was subject to deportation orders, and had multiple ICE detainers placed on him. He should have never been on the streets. But thanks to sanctuary city policies, local authorities were barred from notifying ICE. This shooting was completely preventable — and it happened because the system protected the criminal instead of the community. Then there’s the shelter cover-up. Recently, federal authorities issued a subpoena for records tied to criminal activity in multiple migrant shelters. Not long after that subpoena was made public, those same shelters mysteriously shut down. We still don’t know if the city ever handed over the records. Officials have stonewalled every attempt I’ve made to get an answer. But the timing of the closures was more than suspicious. Retired law enforcement sources tell me these shelters are a goldmine for criminals. With little oversight and no access granted to federal investigators, they've essentially become safe havens. And now, as the crime spills into surrounding neighborhoods, everyday New Yorkers are paying the price. Even Republican Secretary of State Kristi Noem publicly called out Mayor Adams last week — and now you can see exactly why. The federal government is frustrated. New Yorkers are scared. And meanwhile, the city is harboring some of the most dangerous individuals in plain sight. This isn't speculation. This is the reality on the ground — a reality city leaders don’t want you to see. For licensing email [email protected]

Read “How Migrant Gangs Nearly Broke New York City . Was it foreign influence ?“ by Viral News NYC on Medium: medium.com/@viralnewsnyc/how…