For close to a year now, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has been in constant consultation with top-ranking federal immigration authorities discussing modifications to the city’s sanctuary policies, although there have been no significant amendments officially implemented yet. Since witnessing a massive influx of illegal immigration beginning in spring 2022, the mayor has been more vocal about the need to review New York’s laws that limit the collaboration between local law enforcement and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although Adams’ administration has regularly engaged ICE high-ups throughout 2024, and he himself has conferred with Tom Homan, the border czar, on a couple of occasions, there haven’t been any formal alterations to the policies yet.
A recent Thursday meeting involving Homan saw Adams revealing his intention to create an executive order that would permit ICE agents back into Rikers Island, New York City’s largest prison. Focusing primarily on criminal migrants who pose serious threats, an enhanced collaboration with ICE was emphasized by Adams. After the meeting, the Democratic mayor publicly acknowledged, ‘In collaboration with Border Czar Tom Homan and federal law enforcement officials operating locally, we have considered methods to eliminate violent migrant gangs from our midst.’
‘Our current work includes drafting an executive order for reacquainting ICE agents with Rikers Island, a standard practice for 20 prior years. However, this time around, the ICE agents’ focus will be to aid the correctional intelligence bureau in crime investigation, specifically those targeting violent criminals and gang operations,’ Adams asserted further.
The mayor also revealed plans to incorporate more NYPD detectives into federal missions intended for combating these violent gangs and crime. He vowed to prioritize the safety of his city’s 8.3 million residents, making it the endgame of his administration. This isn’t the inaugural instance of Adams advocating changes to the city’s sanctuary provisions. His team has been discussing potential modes of cooperation with ICE officials for the past nine months.
In May of 2024, an ICE regional director confirmed his team’s regular interactions with Mayor Adams’ office in efforts to circumvent the city’s sanctuary laws. Adams had another discussion with Homan in December, exploring a myriad of immigration issues. He also publicly shared his intention of considering executive actions to enhance collaboration with federal immigration authorities. The two parties reportedly contemplated the possibility of permitting deportation officials back into Rikers Island.
When addressed about the city’s sanctuary law that protects criminal migrants, Adams stated, ‘Upon pressing the City Council, they made it abundantly clear that no alterations to the policy are in the cards. From my perspective, they’re mistaken. My team is evaluating the executive orders under my purview.’ For several years, ICE agents had been freely operating on Rikers Island, facilitating safer captures of criminal migrants within its controlled environment. However, this privilege ceased under former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s rule.
In 2014, de Blasio enacted a law that considerably limited the NYPD’s collaborations with the federal immigration authorities, and further strengthened these restrictions in 2018. Thereafter, ICE personnel have been excluded from Rikers Island, thereby barring them from taking custody of migrants involved in illegal activities. Being the largest sanctuary city in America, New York City quickly evolved into a hotbed of the nationwide immigration crisis that took off during the Biden administration.
In recent times, Adams raised alarms over the arrival of over 230,000 migrants in New York City since spring 2022, thereby escalating public expenses to approximately $7 billion. National attention was brought to a series of law-breaking activities by undocumented migrants residing in the city. Notable incidents involved an illegal shopping frenzy that injured an NYPD officer; a dangerous shooting at two NYPD officers during a chase; and, tragically, two separate rape events at knifepoint by undocumented migrants.
Reflected against the gravity of this asylum crisis and the ensuing criminal activities, Mayor Adams tightened his rhetoric concerning immigration. Yet he preferred to blame the liberal-dominated City Council for their refusal to relax the sanctuary laws. However, members of the council from the moderate faction pressed back, accusing the mayor of only maintaining a hardline stance on the issue publicly while failing to actualize feasible efforts.
Adams was criticized for his missed opportunity to push the decision to reconsider the sanctuary law onto the November ballot through a public referendum, although he had the authority to do so. In the words of Robert Holden, a Democrat City Council member, ‘Strong expressions are effective, but it’s the actions that truly resonates.’
Adams further faced questioning in an interview session alongside Homan where he was interrogated on why he had not acted earlier. In his defence, Adams responded, ‘Make no mistake; I stand unimpeded. My intention is to foster collaboration amidst strong opposition.’ Responding to the allegations that he was reaching out to ICE at this point solely, Adams vehemently denied them.
Referencing the Spring of 2022, Adams insisted, ‘From back then, I have been always vocal about the need to rid our streets of dangerous elements.’ On being challenged on his effort to support ICE at that time, Adams upheld his stance. He emphasized, ‘Yes, I have made strides in law enforcement activities. However, the law clearly states that I’m not authorized to play a civil enforcement role, but when it comes to criminal actions, I have full agency.’