NYC Mayor Eric Adams wants changes to sanctuary city laws, increased cooperation with ICE

New York City Mayor Eric Adams voiced support on Tuesday for changes to sanctuary city laws that currently protect migrants in New York.

Calling the policies a "detriment to public safety," Adams spoke during a news conference following similar statements he made on Monday, saying he believes New York City agencies should be free to cooperate more readily with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport immigrants who have been accused of committing crimes.

“We should be communicating with ICE, and if ICE makes the determination of deporting, then they should,” Adams, a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, said at the news conference, according to AP.

"The mere fact that we cannot share with ICE that this person has committed three robberies, that this person is part of an organized gang crew, the mere fact that we can’t say that or communicate that, that’s problematic for me," he said, reported AP.

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Adam's claims of "immigrant crime wave" not supported by data

Adams has made similar comments on multiple occasions as of late, following what he and the NYPD have claimed to be an uptick in violent and serious crime committed by migrants after several high-profile cases made headlines in recent weeks.

Shootings and brawls in Times Square, theft rings, and alleged gang recruitment have all been examples of crimes of crimes in NYC that Adams and the NPYD attributed to migrants in recent months, spurring public concern around the immigrant population bringing a wave of crime with them.

A snapshot of NYPD data comparing this January with January 2023 shows an overall decline in crime, with a:

• 2.9% decline in reported crimes
• 25% decrease in murders
• 24% decrease in reported rapes
• 20% decrease in reported robberies

Adams' critics have pointed toward crime data often dating back to April 2022, when Texas Governor Greg Abbot began sending buses of migrants to NYC.

While Adams did not specify what aspects of the law he would like to see changed, he would need the City Council's approval to make any such changes in the first place, something officials have said isn't likely to come, according to AP.

Immigration advocates respond

Zachary Ahmad, Senior Policy Counsel at the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) expressed concern about Adams' push for further cooperation with ICE, saying in a statement:

“Mayor Adams’ shameful threats to end New York’s years-long status as a sanctuary city will only result in the cruel targeting, demonization, and demoralization of our immigrant neighbors."

Ahmad also said that Adams' claims of the new arrivals driving up crime rates is false, saying that data proves there is no crime wave at all.

"Instead of scapegoating those in need and threatening immigrants' right to due process, Mayor Adams should provide secure housing, supportive services, and legal assistance to our new neighbors. Immigrants are not props for theatrics that put their lives at risk," he concluded.

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What are sanctuary city laws?

A "sanctuary city" is not a legal term recognized by federal law. Instead, it's a political term that refers to a collection of local policies that dictate how the federal government and, by extension, immigration officials, interact with a state or local agencies.

In a general sense, these local policies usually pertain to the sharing of information on non-citizen residents between federal immigration agencies and state or local agencies. Proponents of these policies say they serve as important protections to allow people of different immigration statuses to live without the fear of what they believe to be unfair legal action (such as deportation or arrest), especially when doing things like getting medical care or seeking assistance after witnessing or becoming a victim of a crime.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, these laws are not only federally legal but constitutional. Some policies and practices that may appear in sanctuary cities include:

• Not complying with detainer requests unless they come with a judicial warrant;
• Not collecting immigration-related information in the provision of city services unless otherwise required by state or federal law;
• Not allowing local funds, personnel, or facilities to be used for immigration enforcement;
• Declaring schools and courthouses to be safe places where people can go without fearing immigration enforcement activities or raids;
• Not allowing ICE or other DHS agents into local jails;
• Requiring notice to people in jail if ICE or DHS wants to talk to them for any reason;
• Requiring ICE and DHS to notify an inmate’s attorney prior to talking to them for any reason and to certify having done so;
• Requiring ICE and DHS officers to identify themselves and wear duty jackets if allowed into any local facilities;
• Not discriminating on the basis of alienage or immigration status in the provision of city services unless otherwise required by state or federal law; and
• Providing funding for legal representation for local residents in immigration proceedings.

In New York City, some notable sanctuary laws include:

• An executive order signed by Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 barring city officials from sharing information on immigrants without written permission from the person in question, unless the information is pertinent to a criminal matter.
• A city law was passed in 2011 limiting the extent to which NYC police and legal/correctional agencies are allowed to cooperate with ICE.
• An expansion of the 2011 law made in 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio removed ICE's Rikers Island office, removed ICE presence in all city jails and prevented the NYPD or the Department of Correction (DOC) from honoring ICE detainer requests without a judicial warrant (with exceptions for people on terrorist watch lists or those who had violent or serious crime convictions on their records).
• A 2018 law also passed by de Blasio requiring that senior city officials must review and approve any requests for cooperation from ICE and assistance would not be rendered if it was found the requests could aid in deportation proceedings.