New York City Mayor Eric Adams has instructed his top officials to trust him and avoid criticizing President Donald Trump, in a meeting held on Monday. The guidance comes amid confusion over how city employees should handle interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The mayor had scheduled the meeting late Friday, after days of uncertainty about what to do if ICE agents arrive at city buildings. In one memo, city employees were instructed to intercept ICE agents until city lawyers could weigh in, while another memo told them to let federal law enforcement in if they felt “reasonably threatened.”
In Monday’s meeting, Adams ordered his officials to stop complaining and refrain from criticizing the president or federal government on social media. The mayor also told them not to aid Trump’s efforts to win a pardon.
The instructions have sparked criticism from some candidates seeking to unseat Adams, including Comptroller Brad Lander and State Sen. Zellnor Myrie. They argue that the mayor is acting chiefly to obtain a pardon or dropped charges from the president.
Trump has already threatened to pull federal funding for so-called sanctuary cities, where laws limit local government cooperation with immigration enforcement. New York City’s laws allow cooperation only in limited instances involving people convicted of certain felonies, or with a judicial warrant.
Adams’ administration has also released a new flow chart to help city employees know what to do when interacting with non-local law enforcement. The mayor has said he won’t publicly criticize Trump and has refused to criticize his statements or actions when pressed by reporters.
Source: https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/02/10/eric-adams-donald-trump-pardon-2