DHS The recent shooting of an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent in New York City has sparked intense political backlash, with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem blaming city officials and sanctuary city policies for the violent incident.
DHS The 42-year-old CBP officer, who was off-duty and not in uniform, was shot late Saturday night in what authorities described as a robbery attempt gone wrong. The officer was sitting with a woman in Riverside Park near the George Washington Bridge when two men on a moped approached them. One of the suspects tried to rob the officer, prompting him to draw his service weapon. A gunfight broke out, and the officer was shot in the face and arm, while one of the suspects was also wounded before fleeing the scene on the moped.
The officer is currently in stable condition, alert, and communicating through hand gestures, though he has a broken jaw and a bullet lodged in his throat, according to law enforcement sources.
Surveillance footage later released by DHS shows two men arriving at a city hospital on a moped. One appears seriously injured, sliding off the vehicle and collapsing on the pavement as the other rides away. In a social media post, DHS wrote, “One of the suspects DUMPS the body of his injured counterpart and flees. These individuals will face the full weight of the U.S. Justice System.”
Authorities identified the injured suspect as 21-year-old Miguel Mora, an undocumented immigrant who entered the U.S. illegally through Arizona in 2023. Mora, who arrived at a Bronx hospital with gunshot wounds to his groin and leg, has a lengthy criminal record, including charges for assaulting a pregnant woman and a stabbing incident earlier this year. He is also wanted for robbing a Massachusetts pawn shop where multiple firearms were stolen. Investigators are now examining whether the weapon used in the weekend attack came from that robbery.
The second suspect, Cristian Aybar Berroa, was arrested on Monday. He too is an undocumented immigrant with a history of criminal offenses, including reckless endangerment, felony grand larceny, and petit larceny. In April 2023, Berroa was arrested but released despite an active U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer. He later pleaded guilty to petit larceny in June and was conditionally discharged.
“Mora was arrested four times in New York City and was still released, putting innocent lives at risk,” Noem said. “He should have been deported long ago.”
While Noem did not offer specifics on which policy changes would have prevented the shooting, she called for a nationwide reassessment of sanctuary city policies and urged their repeal. She also emphasized the need for tighter immigration enforcement and greater cooperation between local and federal law enforcement.
Former President Donald Trump’s border policy advisor Tom Homan echoed Noem’s sentiments, stating flatly, “Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals. Full stop.”
Meanwhile, New York officials pushed back against the criticism. Jess D’Amelia, a spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul, said the governor supports holding those responsible fully accountable and deporting them. However, she also criticized the broad-brush approach of targeting all undocumented immigrants.
“New York already works with the federal government to remove violent criminals,” D’Amelia said. “But indiscriminately targeting families, students, and small business owners doesn’t make anyone safer.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, speaking at a separate press conference, distanced himself from the broader justice system, saying, “I just carry out the rules.” He added that he would welcome increased federal support if agents focus on serious offenders rather than those on the path to legal citizenship.
Adams also visited the injured officer in the hospital and expressed outrage over the shooting.
In a Sunday social media post, former President Donald Trump weighed in, linking the attack to what he sees as a failure by Democrats to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Federal officials have recently warned that agents involved in immigration enforcement are increasingly vulnerable to threats. In response, many ICE agents have begun wearing masks to protect their identities—a move that has drawn scrutiny but is defended by agency leaders.
“If wearing a mask keeps our agents and their families safe, then I support it,” acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said Sunday.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, federal charges are expected to be filed against both Mora and Berroa. Law enforcement agencies at the city, state, and federal levels say they are working together to ensure accountability for the attack and to review the broader implications for immigration enforcement and public safety.