Mayor Eric Adams changed the city’s sanctuary rules when he issued an executive order permitting federal immigration officials to enter the Rikers Island jail facility. ICE officers will support investigations, he said, “in particular those involving violent criminals and gangs.”
Adams made the decision during a meeting with Thomas Homan, President Trump’s border czar. Adams’ connection with the Trump administration was put to the test at the meeting, particularly after the Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him in order to let him assist with Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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In 2014, sanctuary laws prohibited ICE offices from operating at Rikers. Adams discovered a gap that allows presidential orders to grant non-civil immigration law enforcement access to federal immigration authorities. In interviews, he defended the order by saying it was required to deal with gangs and eliminate dangerous individuals.
The left-leaning Democrats who dominate the City Council are anticipated to oppose the directive, emphasizing the need to assess its validity. To go around the Council, the mayor’s Charter Revision Commission may suggest changes.
Homan claimed it was the safest way to detain undocumented immigrants accused or convicted of crimes, but Adams’ actions and meetings with Homan, along with federal government choice and possible legal actions, highlighted the contentious dynamics between city and federal immigration policies.
Despite sanctuary laws’ continued effectiveness, immigration activists and civil rights groups expressed concern about increased ICE and city collaboration at the expense of vulnerable immigrants.
