Judge Orders NYC to Share Shelter Resident Info with ICE
Federal judge rules NYC must provide ICE with names and birthdates of certain male residents at Bronx homeless shelter.
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A federal judge has ruled that New York City must provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with the names and birthdates of certain male residents at a Bronx homeless shelter, marking a significant setback for the city’s sanctuary policies. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, a Bill Clinton appointee, was made in a months-long legal battle between ICE and the city over access to records of residents at the Bruckner Boulevard homeless shelter in Mott Haven.
Legal Battle Over Sanctuary Policies
Kaplan rejected the city’s arguments that the subpoena for identifying information was overly burdensome or an improper attempt to circumvent sanctuary policies. The judge stated that the city had not shown that producing the list would be unduly burdensome and that the records were material and relevant to the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The ruling clears the way for ICE to obtain the names and dates of birth of certain male shelter residents with serious criminal histories, subject to screening by a court-appointed special master.
The Bruckner facility, a converted South Bronx warehouse, serves as the city’s last major emergency migrant housing site for asylum-seeking men, many transferred from the troubled Randall’s Island tent complex. ICE has documented that approximately 100 people received immigration mail there, with at least 20 having entered illegally and at least a dozen charged with serious crimes. The agency’s investigation focuses on whether unlawfully present individuals with criminal histories are housed there and may be subject to removal.
Previous Attempts and Legal Resistance
This is not ICE’s first attempt to obtain information from the city. Federal officials issued multiple subpoenas beginning in August 2025, initially seeking broader resident data from city shelters. The city repeatedly refused, calling earlier requests an “improper fishing expedition lacking any legitimate investigative purpose” and arguing they would circumvent sanctuary rules that limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Kaplan’s order effectively ends that resistance for this facility under the narrowed, special-master process. The parties have two weeks to submit a proposed order on the special master’s appointment and compensation. New York City’s administration is evaluating next steps, with the New York Attorney General indicating she is reviewing the possibility of an appeal.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
