ICE Arrests Guinea National Alpha Bah in New York After Manhunt Sparked by Sanctuary City Release

Federal immigration officers arrested Alpha Bah, a national of Guinea accused of assaulting a New York City police officer, on Friday, ending a manhunt sparked by his release from local custody despite repeated US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said.

According to the official, officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) developed intelligence about Bah's last known temporary residence on Friday and established surveillance in the surrounding area. He was taken into custody at approximately 3:25 p.m. at a temporary residence in New York City.

At approximately 2:22 p.m., officers spotted a man matching Bah's description leaving the residence and meeting several unidentified individuals on a nearby public street. Because several school-aged children were in the area, the officers continued monitoring him rather than approaching immediately.

About an hour later, officers spotted Bah alone and approached him while displaying police and ICE identification. They confirmed his identity through biographical questions, a photograph and Mobile Fortify, a biometric identification tool.

Officers informed Bah of an administrative immigration arrest warrant and took him into custody without incident. He was transported to 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan for post-arrest processing, according to the official.

Bah was initially arrested on 7 October on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and intent to obtain transportation without paying, according to DHS.

ICE lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking, but Bah was released without federal immigration authorities being notified, DHS previously said.

The case drew criticism from federal immigration officials, who accused New York City's sanctuary policies of allowing Bah to return to the streets despite the pending immigration detainer.

In a statement issued before Friday's arrest, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the man had been arrested for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, and that despite those violent charges, New York City sanctuary politicians refused to honor ICE's detainer and released him back onto the streets. He called on Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to end those policies before another American gets hurt, or worse.