Categories: Politics

New York’s Eric Adams now wants to help with ICE raids

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

Adams said he has been asking the City Council to alter legislation so cops can help the feds handle illegal migrants.Getty Images

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

MANHATTAN, UNITED STATES – 2019/12/19: Protesters holding a banner at the silent protest. Members of the activist group Rise and Resist gathered a silent protest inside the main hall at Grand Central Station holding NO RAIDS/CLOSE THE CAMPS/ABOLISH ICE banners, photographs of the children who have died in ICE custody, and photographs of the detention camps to object to Border Patrol and ICE treatment of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.

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