The New York City manhunt is over. ICE says its officers arrested Alpha Bah on Friday, after the city released him despite federal detainer requests and a charge of assaulting an NYPD officer with a deadly weapon.
Bah, a Guinean national, was taken into federal custody at about 3:25 p.m., according to a Department of Homeland Security official who described the operation to Fox News Digital. The arrest came without incident.
The case was already a test of New York's sanctuary policies before officers found him. ICE had publicly warned that Bah was at large after his latest release.
ICE's earlier alert identified the suspect and the assault charge while the search was still underway:
SANCTUARY NY RELEASES ILLEGAL ALIEN AFTER ARREST FOR ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER!
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 29, 2026
Alpha Bah, an illegal alien released into the U.S. under the Biden administration, was arrested for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon.
Despite an ICE detainer, NYPD RELEASED Bah…
The detainer history matters. This was not the first time federal officers asked local authorities to hold Bah long enough for an immigration transfer.
ICE says it lodged a detainer with Queens Central Booking after Bah's October 7 arrest. The charges listed by the agency included aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and attempting to ride transit without paying.
ICE says New York City released him without notifying federal officers. The agency also says it sought custody after a June 2026 fare evasion arrest at Manhattan Central Booking, but Bah was released then, too.
Those are ICE's accounts of the local releases. The charges remain allegations, and a detainer is a request for notification and a limited hold, not a criminal conviction.
By Friday, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers had developed a lead on a temporary New York City residence. They began watching the area rather than making an immediate move.
The reporter who broke the arrest story flagged the transition from the manhunt to the arrest:
EXCLUSIVE: A short-lived manhunt ended today with ICE arresting Alpha Bah, an illegal immigrant from Guinea who allegedly assaulted a police officer with a deadly weapon.
— Katelyn Caralle (@Katelyn_Caralle) October 30, 2026
Despite a retainer request, NYPD released Bah earlier this month without notifying federal officials thanks… pic.twitter.com/FQQ8eVOhOq
Fox News Digital reports that officers first spotted a man matching Bah's description at about 2:22 p.m. He was with other people on a public street, and schoolchildren were nearby, so agents continued surveillance instead of approaching him at once.
About an hour later, they found him alone, displayed their ICE and police identification, and confirmed his identity through questions, a photograph, and a mobile biometric tool. Officers then advised him of an administrative immigration arrest warrant and brought him to 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
The account comes from a DHS official. Fox did not report a court finding on the underlying assault allegation.
ICE subsequently confirmed the capture on its own account, bringing the earlier public warning to a close:
BREAKING: ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING NYPD OFFICER CAPTURED BY ICE!
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 31, 2026
After a manhunt, ICE captured Alpha Bah, an illegal alien from Guinea charged with assaulting an NYPD officer with a deadly weapon.
Sanctuary NYC released Bah TWICE despite ICE detainers, but ERO…
Acting ICE Director David Venturella had argued that ignored detainers require officers to make arrests in public instead of controlled custody settings. The Friday operation illustrates his point: federal agents had to locate Bah, watch a neighborhood street, wait for children to clear the area, and then approach him themselves.
Bah's immigration case now moves into federal custody. The assault charge is a separate criminal matter, and the public record cited here does not establish his guilt.
New York officials may dispute ICE's account of their handling of the detainers. What is clear from the agency's release and Friday's arrest report is the sequence: a request to hold Bah, a local release, a public manhunt, and a federal arrest on a city street.
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