The New York City regional field director for ICE is calling for greater collaboration between his office and local law enforcement.

“I just wish the city and the state would revisit the sanctuary policies and come together. We want to collaborate with both the mayor's office and the governor's office,” Kenneth Genalo said in an interview with NY1. 

In recent weeks, questions have been raised about the level of cooperation or lack thereof between New York City law enforcement and federal immigration officials as the city responds to the recent migrant crisis and several high-profile crimes in which the suspects arrested are migrants.

Genalo told NY1, “There is an increase in public safety threats that we’re targeting, and that we’re seeking to arrest.”

Acknowledging New York’s long history of welcoming migrants, the City Council has taken several steps in recent years to shield undocumented residents from being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

During a press briefing last week, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said, “Immigrant New Yorkers are not to be deterred from seeking help or reporting crimes out of fear of deportation from their engagement with city agencies.”

“The NYPD and other law enforcement partners cannot cooperate with us,” Genalo said. “We cannot collaborate. There’s no information sharing.”

Genalo said his agents in New York City are focused on apprehending violent criminals.

“They’ve come through the southwest border. They have documentation, but as far as having the knowledge of criminal backgrounds, we can only depend on our international law enforcement partners with information with that,” Genalo said. “A lot of the information we receive once they enter the United States can be after the fact.”

Nearly two years into the city’s migrant crisis and with several recent high-profile crimes where key suspects have been migrants, there’s been mounting pressure for the city to reform sanctuary policies.

On Wednesday, Mayor Adams said, “I think there needs to be more conversation when it comes to serious violent crimes. I think we should engage in conversation and we should speak with the City Council about that.”

ICE has been involved in the investigation into the assault of two NYPD officers in Times Square last month.

NY1 has confirmed two of the defendants, Wilson Juarez and Kelvin Servita Arocha are now both in ICE custody.