President Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, is vowing to “double” the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York if the state does not update its “sanctuary” policies and cooperate with the administration’s deportation operations.

After meeting with Republican state lawmakers at New York’s Capitol on Wednesday, Mr. Homan said proponents of sanctuary policies will get “exactly what they don’t want” if they fail to fall in line — more ICE agents in their communities and “more collateral arrests.”

“You have forced us into the communities because you failed to let us into jails,” he said of jurisdictions that refuse to honor immigration officials’ requests to hold illegal immigrants in custody.

Mr. Homan said immigration officials are focused on “the worst of the worst” when it comes to deporting illegal immigrants and criticized the very premise of “sanctuary cities.” He said their policies lead to violent offenders being released on the streets and committing other crimes while stoking fear among their alleged victims. 

His comment about officials not cooperating with immigration officials’ detainer requests comes as he is fighting to get local officials to hand over to ICE an illegal immigrant accused of setting a woman on fire on a subway so that the suspect can be deported. The migrant is being held without bail and has been charged with multiple counts of murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Mr. Homan also criticized Governor Hochul and accused her of trying to fire Mayor Adams for his opposition to unrestricted immigration. “Let me give a shout-out to Mayor Adams,” Mr. Homan said. “When I sat down with him in November, he came to the table, and he wanted to help on significant public safety threats.”

He also sought to dispel speculation that the Trump administration struck an agreement to withdraw the federal charges against Mr. Adams if the mayor cooperated on immigration matters.

“I’ve been talking to him since November [it] had nothing to do with that as far as I’m concerned,” the border tsar said. “I’m happy that the mayor of New York… is actually sitting down with law enforcement to make that city safer.”

By contrast, he criticized Ms. Hochul for trying to limit Mr. Adams’ authority and said she wants him out of office. Additionally, he lashed out at New York’s Green Light Law, which lets illegal immigrants acquire driver’s licenses and prevents the DMV from sharing their information with immigration officials. 

“So [Hochul’s] talking out both sides of her mouth, ‘Well, I want criminal aliens deported,’ but she puts up all the road blocks so it’s not happening,” Mr. Homan said. Speaking to reporters, he insisted ICE will “do our job despite” Ms. Hochul’s administration.

“We’re going to go arrest public safety risks, we’re going to arrest national security risks. We’ll double the manforce here if we have to,” he said.

When asked if he tried to set up a meeting with Ms. Hochul, he said, “No, she’s got my number, she can call me.”

Mr. Homan’s visit to Albany sparked some protests from immigration activists. The president of the New York Immigration Coalition, Murad Awawdeh, said in a statement, “Tom Homan’s only job seems to be spewing lies and misinformation at the behest of the Trump Administration.”

“Homan’s visit to the New York State Capitol is an insult to the values of our state and a direct attack on the millions of immigrants who contribute to our communities every day,” the statement said. “He is not welcome here. Homan’s goal is to bully New York State into acquiescing to the Trump administration’s deportation agenda at the expense of our public and road safety.”

A New York State Assembly member and candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was seen in a crowd of protesters gathered at the Capitol as he yelled, “Do you believe in the First Amendment?”

His comment appeared to be a reference to an anti-Israel activist, Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder facing deportation after the Department of Homeland Security said he engaged in “activities aligned to Hamas.” Lawyers for Mr. Khalil unsuccessfully attempted to secure his release during a hearing at Manhattan Wednesday.

Another video of the protests showed Mr. Homan eating an apple and waving at protesters who were chanting “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” while he was escorted through the Capitol.