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.
Fact check:No, Hochul didn't warn truckers that NYC boycott is a hate crime against migrants
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:
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.
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.
A Joe Biden photo op at the border:Here's what mayors and governors say they really want.
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:
In New York City, some notable sanctuary laws include:
2024-12-25 12:291042 view
2024-12-25 12:191997 view
2024-12-25 11:2999 view
2024-12-25 11:201428 view
2024-12-25 10:302613 view
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota panel will consider Thursday whether to approve permits for und
The brands featured in this article are partners of NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a commission on
This story originally aired on Dec. 3, 2022. It was updated on Sept. 30, 2023.On Sept. 4, 1981, Jeff