Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tore into Mayor Eric Adams and New York City’s progressive City Council over sanctuary city laws on Monday — after an off-duty US Customs and Border Protection officer was shot in the face allegedly by “scum of the earth” illegal immigrants.
Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, a 21-year-old Dominican national with a lengthy rap sheet in New York, and another illegal migrant suspect have both been taken into custody after they allegedly ambushed the agent and his friend in Fort Washington Park in Manhattan late Saturday.
The second suspect, who hasn’t been identified publicly, was nabbed early Monday, Noem said.
Nunez, who was wounded when the CBP agent returned fire during the alleged botched robbery, was cuffed after he showed up at a Bronx hospital in the wake of the incident, authorities said.
Noem pointed the finger at Hizzoner after it emerged Nunez had already been nabbed at least four times in the Big Apple — but later cut loose without bail each time.
“There’s absolutely zero reason that someone who is scum of the earth like this should be running loose on the streets of New York City,” Noem said after visiting the injured agent in the hospital on Monday.
“Make no mistake, this officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life, because of the policies of the mayor of the city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe refused to do so.”
Noem said families have “suffered” as a result of the Big Apple’s sanctuary policies.
“When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies,” she said.
Under sanctuary city jurisdictions, the NYPD is prevented from cooperating with federal immigration authorities on civil enforcement.
Adams, who can’t unilaterally change the laws, has previously insisted he would like to loosen the Big Apple’s restrictive migrant designation — but that the City Council won’t play ball.
Any repeal of the Big Apple’s sanctuary city laws would require council action.
“The City Council made it clear they don’t want to change that,” Adams said on CBS’s “The Point with Marcia Kramer” in December.
“They stated they’re not willing to change the sanctuary city law. I think they’re wrong. I have my teams looking at my power as executive orders,” he added.
Authorities, meanwhile, haven’t released any details on the second alleged perp but Noem described him as an illegal immigrant.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the second suspect entered the US.
Nunez, meanwhile, had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally back in April 2023, Noem said.
“I want to remind you that this individual had been arrested four different times before this act happened on Saturday night — arrested and released again and again and again,” she said.
“What did we think was going to happen from policies like that? When you take a dangerous individual and you allow them to never face any consequences for the acts that they’re perpetuating against the public… then you end up in a situation that could have been prevented.”
