Mayor Eric Adams offered conflicting views on Tuesday regarding his administration’s response to mass deportations promised by President-elect Donald Trump. The mayor stated that New York City is a “sanctuary city,” but only after being repeatedly pressed for clarification.
Adams initially expressed concern about the country’s broken immigration system and reiterated that he opposes Trump’s threats of mass deportation. However, he later suggested that some existing sanctuary city laws should be changed, and instead offered to assist the incoming Trump administration.
Immigrant advocates have criticized Adams’ lack of clarity on his stance towards the city’s 412,000 undocumented immigrants. The New York Immigration Coalition President and CEO Murad Awawdeh stated that Adams should enforce local laws and assure compliance with local regulations.
Adams’ reluctance to criticize Trump has sparked speculation about potential favoritism. Tom Homan, Trump’s new “border czar,” threatened to double the number of ICE agents sent to New York City if local authorities don’t cooperate.
City officials have stated that the current sanctuary protections block most cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, advocates argue that the laws need to be fixed and suggest bringing the city in line with other immigrant-welcoming cities nationwide.
Adams has maintained communication with Trump but declined to discuss those conversations publicly. He reiterated his focus on addressing the broken immigration system, stating that “we keep tinkering around the edges” until the issue is resolved.
Source: https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/11/12/sanctuary-city-eric-adams-donald-trump