Democratic New York City Eric Adams on Tuesday signaled support for bi-partisan legislation that would rollback a slate of “sanctuary city” laws currently on the books, marking a major shift in a city that has long opposed cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Speaking Tuesday, Adams declared his support for an anti-sanctuary city bill proposed by members of the Common Sense Caucus, a group of New York City Council members made up of both Democrats and Republicans, according to the Staten Island Advance. If passed and signed into law, the bill would ease back laws enacted by former Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio that largely prohibits New York City cops from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I think the previous administration made a big mistake,” Adams said, referring to de Blasio. “I think we need to correct that aspect of it.”
“New Yorkers have a right to be safe in their city. The same way anyone breaks the law or does something violent to New Yorkers, I’m going to voice my concern about that,” Adams continued.
De Blasio in 2014 signed into law a bill that mostly prohibits the New York Police Department from working with federal immigration authorities, and in 2018 he enacted legislation that doubled down on this policy. The Common Sense Caucus’ bill takes specific aim at undoing these laws.
The laws enacted under de Blasio prevent New York City law enforcement officials from honoring ICE detainer requests, which are requests that ask them to hold an individual in their custody longer in order for an ICE agent to arrive and make an apprehension. The result was a substantial drop in detainer requests from ICE, according to a review from the Staten Island Advance.
New York City has long been considered a “sanctuary city” by local leaders and immigration experts, despite that term technically having no official definition. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the first to enact sanctuary city policies in the Big Apple during his tenure in the early 2000s.
However, as a record number of illegal migrants have chosen to take refuge in the Bill Apple, causing financial strain to taxpayers and leading to several high-profile crime incidents, Adams and other city leaders have become more open to cooperating with ICE agents.
Over 200,000 migrants have overwhelmed New York City since 2022, according to local reports. The migrant influx forced Adams to declare 5% budget cuts in September for government programs and services in order to pay for their housing and other services, and in August he declared the city was reaching a “breaking point” from the sheer volume of immigrants.
New York City’s sanctuary status entered the spotlight again when it was confirmed that Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, a 19-year-old man from Venezuela accused of shooting two New York City Police Department cops last month during a foot pursuit, entered the country unlawfully.
Amid the backlash over immigration policy, members of the Common Sense Caucus last month decided to unveil their bill.
“We have enough criminals in this city; we don’t need to import more and protect them as well,” Council Member Robert Holden, a Democrat and a co-sponsor of the bill, said at the time. “Repealing the laws that have created a sanctuary city status is common sense.”
Despite a show of support from the mayor, it’s still not clear how the bill will fare in a city council dominated by liberal Democrats. However, the bill’s sponsor says Adams has the means to clear the hurdles.
“It’s encouraging to hear the Mayor’s support for our effort to repeal sanctuary city laws,” Holden said to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Despite a combative City Council, he can make it happen by advocating for the Charter Revision Commission to include this proposition on this year’s ballot for the people to decide.”
“New Yorkers will make the right choice: let’s get it done!” he added.
Featured image credit: YouTube screen grab. NYC Mayor’s Office
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