Mayor Eric Adams ignited controversy Friday after suggesting that New York City’s sanctuary laws should be loosened to allow the NYPD to cooperate with ICE on civil enforcement—only to swiftly walk back his statement.
Conflicting statements
During a Fox News appearance with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, Adams claimed he had pushed the City Council to modify sanctuary laws, allowing police to collaborate with ICE even on civil immigration enforcement if an individual had committed a crime.
“That part of the bill is wrong,” Adams said, referring to NYC’s current restrictions that only allow police to assist ICE in criminal cases authorized by a judge.
However, just hours later, Adams backpedaled, insisting he had been misunderstood.
“Let me be very clear, I am not opening the door to civil immigration enforcement with the federal government,” the mayor said in a statement to The Post. “Our laws can be strengthened to go after dangerous criminals, but nothing beyond that.”
City Hall scrambles to clarify
City Hall refused to specify what exact changes Adams was calling for, stating only that the current laws go too far in limiting cooperation with federal authorities.
Adams’ press secretary, Kayla Mamelak, reiterated that the mayor’s only concern was targeting violent criminals.
“Mayor Adams has been abundantly clear: The local laws passed by the previous administration go too far in preventing New York City from cooperating with the federal government when it comes to going after violent offenders,” she said.
ICE official pushes back
Despite Adams defending NYC’s sanctuary city policies—arguing that undocumented immigrants “pay taxes and deserve services”—Trump’s immigration advisor Tom Homan strongly disagreed.
“I’m strictly against sanctuary city status because I think sanctuaries are for criminals,” Homan fired back.
With Adams caught between progressive Democrats defending NYC’s sanctuary status and federal officials demanding a crackdown on migrants, his latest gaffe only adds fuel to an already heated debate.
