City Hall said the new policy would allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island for criminal investigations, but not for civil immigration enforcement.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Mayor Eric Adams decided Thursday to allow ICE agents to operate inside the Rikers Island jail complex following his meeting with President Trump’s point man on immigration, Tom Homan.
City Hall said the new policy would allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island for criminal investigations, but not for civil immigration enforcement.
The meeting occurred at 26 Federal Plaza, the same building where Adams once surrendered to face criminal charges that another arm of the Trump administration is trying to dismiss.
Adams said he explained to Homan what powers he has as New York’s Sanctuary City laws forbid city agencies from cooperating with Immigration agents.
“There was a clear lack of understanding of what is under the mayor, and what laws and rules are in place that I even fight against,” the mayor said. “Once he understood exactly what are my authorities, we were able to work out some things.”
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Adams said in a statement that since Spring of 2022, New York City has been forced to shoulder the burden of a “national humanitarian crisis” where more than 230,000 migrants have come into the city at a cost of approximately $7 billion, “with little help from the previous administration.”
“That is why I have been clear that I want to work with the new federal administration, not war with them, to find common ground and make better the lives of New Yorkers,” Adams said.
Adams said he and Homan also discussed ways to embed more NYPD detectives into federal task forces to focus on violent gangs and criminal activity.
“Keeping the 8.3 million New Yorkers who call our city home safe is – and will always remain – our administration’s North Star,” his statement said.
After Thursday’s meeting, the mayor insisted he is no hostage to an administration that ordered his criminal case dismissed.
“I have not been a hostage for anyone in government,” he said. “Remember the police department, 100 Blacks in law enforcement, the commissioner signed my check. They could have terminated me at any time. Yet, I was the most vociferous person for police reform. When you follow my career, you know that I cannot be held hostage. I am going to fight for the people of the city. I am going to protect the people of the city.”
Adams said the changes he announced are not an attempt to run around New York’s Sanctuary City law.
“What I’m going to do is again, advocate the City Council to modify them so we can go after dangerous individuals for deportation. I’m going to tell them to look at that. I’m going to continue to advocate,” Adams said, describing his new policies as “low-hanging fruit that we can go together and align ourselves on.”
As the Trump administration is broadening its scope to track down those in the city illegally, it has sparked a heated court battle.
The DOJ is now suing Governor Kathy Hochul and the state, for resisting federal efforts like sharing motor vehicle data with federal authorities for immigration enforcement.
Governor Hochul was expected to meet with President Trump on Thursday, but that meeting is now expected to happen sometime next week.
Her administration is reviewing the lawsuit that she says is a “worthless, publicity-driven lawsuit to be a total failure.”
Meanwhile Rep, Hakeem Jeffries says he is traveling back home to Brooklyn later Thursday with “concerns.”
He said his constituents are “deeply alarmed” at the mayor’s closeness with the Trump administration, which apparently intends to “keep the current mayor on a short leash.”
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City Hall said the new policy would allow ICE to operate on Rikers Island for criminal investigations, but not for civil immigration enforcement.