As President Donald Trump’s federal raids ramp up across the United States, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ pushback against his illegal immigration strategy has been slammed for not prioritizing public safety.

One longtime New York City police officer said the state’s politicians need to “get on the same page” after James’ comments in the wake of Tuesday’s raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents.

“My office is aware of the increased presence of ICE across New York City. I am monitoring the situation to ensure our laws are being respected and people’s rights are not being violated,” James wrote in a post on X Tuesday. 

Along with her post, she attached guidance that emphasizes the rights of illegal migrants and federal, state and local laws that the state’s law enforcement agencies must adhere to. 

Several hours after the raid, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that the city “will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years.”

The Democratic mayor said he “directed the NYPD to coordinate with DHS’ Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement agencies — as allowed by law — to conduct a targeted operation.”

Homeland Security and immigration officials launched an enforcement operation in New York City, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. (Department of Homeland Security)

NYC Sgt. Joseph Imperatrice, the founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, told Fox News Digital that the attorney general should prioritize her constituents’ safety over making political statements.

New York is one of a number of “sanctuary” jurisdictions that do not cooperate with ICE detainers. 

The raids came as Democratic states and cities are preparing their response to Trump’s freezing of “all federal financial assistance,” prompting outrage from James.

“My office will be taking imminent legal action against this administration’s unconstitutional pause on federal funding,” the attorney general wrote on X. “We won’t sit idly by while this administration harms our families.”

In a Monday post on X, ICE reported 1,179 single-day arrests and lodged 853 detainers, which means “there’s probable cause to believe that the person is removable from the United States under federal immigration law.” 

In the last week, the Department of Homeland Security said that “law enforcement officials have removed and returned 7,300 illegal aliens.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and James’ office for comment.