ICE arrests Alpha Bah in New York City after release from local custody, DHS says
Federal immigration officers arrested Alpha Bah at approximately 3:25 p.m. at a temporary residence in New York City, ending a manhunt that began after he was released from local custody despite federal detainer requests, a Department of Homeland Security official told Fox News Digital.
The official said officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations developed intelligence about Bah’s last known temporary residence and set up surveillance. At about 2:22 p.m., officers observed a man matching Bah’s description meeting several people on a nearby public street. Because school-aged children were in the area, officers continued monitoring rather than immediately approaching, the official said.
About an hour later, officers approached Bah when he was alone, displayed ICE and police identification, and confirmed his identity using biographical questions, a photograph and Mobile Fortify, a biometric identification tool, the official said. He was informed of an administrative immigration arrest warrant and taken into custody without incident. The official said Bah was transported to 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan for post-arrest processing.
According to DHS, Bah was initially arrested Oct. 7 on charges including aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and intent to obtain transportation without paying. DHS said ICE lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking but that Bah was released without federal immigration authorities being notified.
The case drew criticism from federal immigration officials. “This illegal alien from Guinea was arrested for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon. Despite these violent charges, New York City sanctuary politicians refused to honor ICE’s detainer and RELEASED him back onto the streets, and he remains at large,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement prior to Friday’s arrest. “DHS is calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to knock it off with these evil sanctuary policies before another American gets hurt, or worse.”
Fox News Digital reported that local authorities released Bah despite repeated requests from federal immigration officials, the DHS official told Fox News Digital.
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