At Least 3 New Yorkers Found Dead In Cold After Hochul Turned Down Help From Trump Admin

At least three homeless New Yorkers were found dead in freezing temperatures Saturday morning after Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul rebuffed a federal assistance offer from the Trump administration.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reached out to New York ahead of the major winter storm sweeping the country. Hochul responded on X by demanding immigration enforcement changes as a condition for accepting help.

“Secretary Noem offered assistance to New York ahead of the impending snowstorm,” Hochul wrote on X. “I shared that the fastest way to help is for ICE to back off so people feel safe accessing warming centers, shelters, hospitals, and houses of worship.” (RELATED: Legendary Meteorologist Warns Of ‘Unending Arctic Cold’ Ahead Of Gargantuan Winter Storm)

Hours later, authorities discovered three bodies across New York City as temperatures plunged to 10 degrees overnight, according to the New York Post. A 67-year-old man was found outside on 3rd Avenue in Murray Hill around 7:45 a.m. A 64-year-old woman was discovered in Canarsie, Brooklyn, at 9:25 a.m. A man in his 30s was located on Warren Street in Cobble Hill around the same time.

Secretary Noem offered assistance to New York ahead of the impending snowstorm.⁰⁰I shared that the fastest way to help is for ICE to back off so people feel safe accessing warming centers, shelters, hospitals, and houses of worship.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 24, 2026

Police suspect all three were homeless, the Post reported. No criminality was suspected in any case. The city medical examiner will determine official causes of death.

Investigators believe each person died from weather-related circumstances, according to NBC New York. The outlet reported that none of the bodies showed physical signs of trauma.

Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city had declared a Code Blue on Thursday. The emergency protocol guarantees shelter beds to anyone seeking them.

“No one will be denied,” Mamdani said, according to NBC New York. “All hospitals, all Department of Homeless Services (DHS) drop-in centers, and all DHS shelters have a fully open-door policy.”

Mamdani warned the cold snap would be the worst the city has experienced in roughly eight years. NBC News reported that Noem had announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency pre-positioned 30 generators, 250,000 meals and 400,000 liters of water for affected states.