It would take an entire “lifetime” to deport all the migrant criminals currently residing in New York City—or at least that’s the grim assessment from Kenneth Genalo, the top official in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the region. In an interview with the “New York Post,” Genalo laid it out bluntly saying that if things remain the same, “it will take a lifetime to clear the city of the criminals that we have.”

Translation? The system is broken, and Genalo’s team is drowning in an endless to-do list. He made it clear that they desperately need more resources to deal with the city’s massive migrant crisis, saying, “I have to focus all of my resources on the worst of the worst, the most egregious violators.” And here’s the kicker: his department is overwhelmed with leads— “it’s not in the hundreds,” he admitted.

The issue has become even more urgent as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to step into the Oval Office. His 2024 campaign didn’t just flirt with immigration crackdowns—it put mass deportations and a full-scale shutdown of the southern border front and center. So, what does that mean for New York City, a place often at the heart of America’s immigration debates? Genalo is tired of New York’s sanctuary city policies. He feels that the rules make it almost impossible to deport migrants with criminal records, which is basically turning the city into a big catch-and-release zone. For Genalo and his team, it feels like they’re trying to do their job, but the system is working against them.

Since the spring of 2022, over 223,000 migrants have poured into New York City, with at least 58,000 currently living in taxpayer-funded shelters. Nationwide, ICE estimates that there are over 600,000 illegal migrants with felony convictions or pending criminal charges. Those are staggering figures—and they explain why Genalo feels like he’s playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.

Can Trump’s big immigration promises actually fix this mess? Honestly, it’s too soon to tell. But if Genalo’s bleak take on the situation is any indication, it’s going to take a whole lot more than flashy speeches and catchy campaign slogans to get this under control. Real solutions are going to need real action—and fast.