New York City Police Department

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is searching for Alpha Bah, a Guinean national whom New York City officials released from custody despite an ICE detainer. Bah was arrested October 7 on charges including aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, but Queens Central Booking released him without notifying ICE, per DHS. He had two prior arrests, in 2025 and 2026, after which NYPD similarly declined to honor detainers.

DHS says New York failed to honor more than 16,000 ICE detainers since January 2025, tied to over 52,000 criminal charges and convictions, intensifying the national debate over sanctuary city policies and immigration enforcement.

A House Judiciary Committee report examines immigration-related practices in New York City district attorney offices. It cites a 2019 Bronx guide on "immigration-conscious plea bargaining" that reportedly advised prosecutors in child sex crime cases to offer pleas to offenses that excluded the child's age as an element, and to keep domestic relationships out of conviction records in abuse cases. In Queens, DA Melinda Katz's office said it modified or vacated convictions for 21 defendants in her first year to avoid unanticipated immigration consequences. The report also notes NYPD has not honored any of nearly 10,000 ICE detainer requests over the past year, and cites a prior ICE review finding dozens of released individuals later rearrested.

A man in his 30s was shot in the chest and killed Saturday around 12:21 p.m. at the 7th Avenue-53rd Street subway station in Midtown Manhattan, NYPD said. The shooting began as a dispute between two men on the northbound E train platform, moved onto a train, then returned to the platform before the shooter fled on foot. Police are still searching for the suspect.

The incident renewed demands for improved subway safety. Advocacy group Passengers United said it has sought a permanent NYPD Transit post at the station for two years, citing drug use, poor lighting and inaccessible entrances. City Council Speaker Julie Menin and attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy also responded, calling for swift action and stronger transit security.

A New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct censure detailed how Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Jeffrey Gershuny pulled out his personal firearm during an Aug. 5, 2025 suppression hearing to test whether a testifying NYPD officer could distinguish a gun from other objects inside a bag. After questioning from both sides left him unsatisfied with the officer's account of detecting a bulge, Gershuny retrieved a stapler from his chambers, removed his 9-mm handgun from its holster, unloaded it, and placed it on the floor while putting the stapler in a shopping bag instead—proceeding over prosecutors' objections and against his own court officers' advice.

The officer described sensing an L-shaped object consistent with a firearm; Gershuny then revealed the stapler, suppressed the gun evidence in the underlying case, and accused the officer of fabricating his account. The Brooklyn DA later declined to prosecute and the case was dismissed. Gershuny, who has no prior disciplinary history, cooperated with the investigation, agreed to the censure, and no longer carries his weapon into court.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman met in their only televised debate ahead of New York's gubernatorial election, hosted by NY1. Polling shows Hochul leading by a wide margin, putting pressure on Blakeman to produce a breakout moment while Hochul aims to project gubernatorial competence, particularly on affordability issues like utility bills and cost of living. Blakeman's campaign has leaned into an alliance with President Trump, including a recent joint rally in Syracuse, while Hochul has worked to tie her opponent to the unpopular president. Trump's standing in deep-blue New York remains a central dynamic of the race, amplified by fallout from a recent ICE shooting in Manhattan that has strained relations between the administration and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The debate followed a separate state attorney general matchup last week between Democratic incumbent Letitia James and GOP challenger Saritha Komatireddy, whose strong performance generated viral attention. Both races are being closely watched as bellwethers heading into the broader midterm cycle.

A Bronx shooting in which an ICE agent shot Oscar Belgal, an undocumented immigrant with a prior arrest record, has become a flashpoint in New York City and state politics ahead of elections. Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized ICE's actions and has pushed to limit cooperation between federal immigration enforcement and the NYPD, drawing sharp criticism from residents and officials who argue sanctuary-city policies let repeat offenders remain free to commit crimes. Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier faced backlash for defending Belgal, while critics drew comparisons to the case of NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran, who faces prison time after intervening to stop a fleeing suspect.

Supporters of stricter enforcement argue that had Belgal been deported after an earlier arrest, the shooting would not have occurred, while critics of the officer's actions say an investigation should determine whether the shooting was justified before conclusions are drawn. The incident has intensified debate over sanctuary-city status, bail reform, and public safety as New York heads toward upcoming elections.

Federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against Covington, Louisiana brothers Omar and Abdel Adhami, alleging they used Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp to solicit more than $80,000 from followers for Hamas, often posting pro-Hamas imagery. The FBI and NYPD investigation found Abdel Adhami allegedly sent roughly $80,000 via PayPal to associates of Saleem Alzaq, described as his handler in Gaza, between November 2023 and February of this year, while Omar allegedly sent about $6,000. Abdel faces charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization, wire fraud and money laundering; Omar faces material support and wire fraud counts. Alzaq has separately been indicted in Manhattan for raising nearly $1.75 million for Hamas.

In an unrelated state case, the brothers, their wives and another sibling were arrested October 7 on charges of defrauding Louisiana's Medicaid program of more than $224,000 by allegedly underreporting income. All five, arrested earlier at St. Tammany Parish Jail, face state felony theft and benefits fraud charges, to be prosecuted locally alongside the separate federal terrorism case.