ICE Buffalo official takes shot at NY Gov Hochul after arrest of wanted illegal immigrant

Buffalo Field Office Director Thomas Brophy said that they will continue to protect residents "regardless of what the governor of New York says."

"The men and women of ERO [Enforcement and Removal Operations] will continue to protect our communities from dangerous offenders, regardless of what the governor of New York state says," he said in a release on Friday. 

"We will not be deterred by politicians putting votes over protecting the citizens of this nation," Brophy said.

The agency said that the unidentified migrant had pending charges for strangulation and endangering the welfare of a child. He was also under investigation in Brazil for several crimes, including homicide.

"This is the second case in as many days of ERO Buffalo officers arresting a foreign national attempting to outrun his criminal past by illegally entering the United States," Brophy said.

He said that this case is a reminder of the dangers of the state's sanctuary status for migrants.

"These cases highlight the dangers of 'sanctuary' jurisdictions and state policies that obstruct law enforcement from cooperating with ERO," Brophy said.

Castro's statement reflects a trend by state and local officials saying they would reject President-elect Trump's immigration policies. Trump campaigned, in part, on enforcing stringent immigration laws and deporting migrants.

"Especially in the face of growing threats to the immigrant communities here in Los Angeles, I stand with the people of this city," Bass said. "This moment demands urgency. Immigrant protections make our communities stronger and our city better."

"More than us having DPD [Denver Police Department] stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there," Johnston told the Denverite. "It's like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You'd have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants."

Trump has vowed to initiate deportation efforts on his first day back in office, recently saying he would be open to declaring a national emergency and using the military to make it happen.

"If you don't want to work with us, then get the hell out all the way. We're going to do it,' Homan recently said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE Buffalo and Hochul's office for comment.