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Politics109 outlets ran this4 min read

Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the results of a month-long immigration enforcement operation.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

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Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York

What this story says

  • Operation Rotten Apple, a federal immigration enforcement operation, led to the detention of more than 2,100 migrants in New York between July 27 and August 29.
  • Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the operation targeted individuals living in the U.S. illegally, including alleged gang members, rapists, murderers, and child predators.
  • Mullin criticised New York politicians for sanctuary policies, claiming they hinder federal immigration enforcement and make the state less safe.
  • The operation proceeded without the cooperation of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Governor Kathy Hochul, according to Mullin.

Who covered it

Left 13%(10)Centre 34%(27)Right 53%(42)

Percentages are shares of the 79 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 30 of the 109 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

42/100

Craft

57/100

Hype

41/100

109 sources · methodology

Missing from the left

Only 10 of the 79 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.

A reader who follows the left would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that "Operation Rotten Apple" resulted in the detention of over 2,100 migrants in New York. The operation, which ran from July 27 to August 29, targeted individuals residing in the U.S. without legal status. Mullin stated that those arrested included individuals accused of serious crimes such as gang membership, rape, murder, and child predation.

Mullin criticised New York's sanctuary policies, asserting that they impede federal immigration enforcement efforts and contribute to a less safe environment. He stated that the operation achieved what "sanctuary politicians in New York City and the state of New York refuse to do: made the Empire State safer." Mullin also claimed the operation occurred without assistance from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Governor Kathy Hochul.

Disagreement on operation dates

The period during which Operation Rotten Apple took place is reported differently by some outlets. CBS Austin and WPDE stated the operation ran from July 27 through August 9. However, ABC 7 NY and PIX 11 reported the operation ran from July 27 to August 29, a duration of 30 days.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated reports covered this story. The right-rated digests did not mention the specific date of the announcement, only that it occurred. The centre-rated reports from ABC 7 NY and CBS Austin mentioned the announcement occurred on a Tuesday, but did not specify the date. The specific number of arrests varied slightly between reports, with ABC 7 NY and PIX 11 stating "more than 2,100", CBS Austin and WPDE stating "more than 2,100", and Times of India reporting "2,197 arrests."

Tags:#OperationRottenApple#ImmigrationEnforcement#MarkwayneMullin#NewYork#MigrantDetentions#SanctuaryPolicies

Coverage settled. We checked this 27 times and stopped on 7 Sept 2026, 07:45. The figures above are what it finished at.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Screenshot 2026-09-01 at 10.33.59 AM.png
CBS AustinCentre

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

10 rated outlets

  • All four left‑rated outlets reported that Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the conclusion of “Operation Rotten Apple” in New York, saying roughly 2,100 immigrants had been arrested during the past month at a press conference in Lower Manhattan’s immigration courthouse.
  • amNewYork led on Mullin’s description of New York as a “crime‑ridden city”, his threat to deploy additional ICE agents, and his criticism of sanctuary policies, while noting NYPD data showing historic lows in murders and shootings. The report reproduced statements from Commissioner Faiza Ali, Murad Awawdeh, Hannah Stauss and Deborah Chen, and cited TRAC’s finding that about 70 % of detainees lack criminal records.
  • USA Today’s digest led on Mullin framing the sweep as a rebuke to New York leaders, El Paso Inc.’s digest highlighted the operation as a response to sanctuary policies, and thecityreporter.nyc’s digest noted the operation’s completion and the 2,100 arrests. None of these digests mentioned NYPD crime trends, the TRAC statistic, the named Ukrainian and Colombian cases, or the quotations from city officials and advocacy groups.

Centre

27 rated outlets

  • The centre-rated reports from ABC 7 NY and PIX 11 led with the announcement of over 2,100 migrant arrests in New York as part of Operation Rotten Apple. Both reports highlighted Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's announcement and his criticism of New York politicians for sanctuary policies. ABC 7 NY also noted that the operation occurred without assistance from NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani or Governor Kathy Hochul. CBS Austin's report also focused on the number of arrests and Mullin's statements, including his characterisation of those arrested as "the worst of the worst" and his criticism of sanctuary policies and the state's release of criminal defendants.

Right

42 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports from Fox Business, NTD News, WPDE, Times of India, WND, New York Post, and WBFF focused on the announcement of Operation Rotten Apple and the number of arrests. Many highlighted Mullin's statement that the arrests included alleged gang members, rapists, murderers, and child predators. The New York Post and WND quoted Mullin directly, with WND using the phrase "Worst of the worst" in its headline and quoting Mullin saying "there's a special place in hell for those individuals." The Times of India reported 2,197 arrests and mentioned the sweep targeted illegal migrants with serious criminal records. Several reports, including those from Fox Business and NTD News, indicated they were broadcasting or reporting on a live press conference.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York?
Of the 79 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 13% are rated left, 34% are rated centre, 53% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 109. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 79 rated outlets on this story, 13% are rated left, 34% are rated centre, 53% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York biased?
Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York is one event reported by 109 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which side is not reporting Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York?
When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
Which outlets covered Operation Rotten Apple detains over 2,100 migrants in New York?
109 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What was Operation Rotten Apple?
Operation Rotten Apple was a federal immigration enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York. The operation ran for approximately 30 days, from late July to late August, and resulted in the detention of over 2,100 migrants.
Who announced the results of Operation Rotten Apple?
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the results of Operation Rotten Apple. He stated that the operation targeted individuals living in the U.S. illegally and included alleged gang members, rapists, murderers, and child predators.
Did New York state and city officials cooperate with Operation Rotten Apple?
According to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, the operation proceeded without the assistance or cooperation of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani or New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Mullin criticised their sanctuary policies.
How many people were detained during Operation Rotten Apple?
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that over 2,100 migrants were detained during Operation Rotten Apple. Some reports specified 2,197 arrests, while others stated "more than 2,100".

Read it at the source

109 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

10
Show 2 more

Centre

27
Show 19 more

Right

42
Show 34 more

Not rated

30
Show 22 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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