U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) used its official social media account on April 18, 2026, to comment on public safety issues related to immigration enforcement and recent criminal incidents.
In a post from the morning of April 18, ICE referenced a recent arson attack in New York City, quoting the district attorney: "The NYC district attorney called the deadly arson attack ‘an act of mass murder’ after the suspect watched people jump from their burning apartments while sipping a beer." The agency criticized local policies regarding federal detainers, stating, "Despite this horrific incident, NYC remains adamant it will not honor the ICE detainers that keep murderers."
Later that day, ICE announced an arrest related to international law enforcement cooperation. According to their statement at 20:00 UTC: "ICE ARRESTS FOREIGN FUGITIVE WANTED FOR HOMICIDE IN BRAZIL. ICE arrested Magno Jose Dos Santos, a criminal illegal alien and foreign fugitive wanted for homicide in Brazil, during a targeted operation in Worcester, MA, March 22. He’s faced charges for violent crimes on multiple".
In another message posted at 22:05 UTC directed toward Tom Steyer—a public figure and former presidential candidate—ICE addressed criticisms of its role in immigration enforcement: "Tom Steyer, ICE is not a political football. Our agents and officers are sworn to protect this nation from dangerous criminals ranging from child abusers to cartel members, and we urge you to join us in protecting Californians from these ongoing threats."
New York City has maintained policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities by declining most requests known as "detainers," which ask local law enforcement agencies to hold individuals suspected of being removable under federal law beyond their scheduled release dates.
