'Crying uncle': NYC Mayor Eric Adams publicly calls for change in sanctuary city policy

NEW YORK CITY, NY - For the first time, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is publicly calling for changes to the city’s current sanctuary policies.

During a press conference on Tuesday at City Hall, Adams said, “I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city. You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules.”

New York City has seen a rash of incidents lately that involve illegal migrants who have been accused of violent crimes. A recent robbery in a Times Square clothing store where a tourist was shot is just one example of the violence sweeping the city. A 15-year-old migrant from Venezuela was arrested and charged in that incident.

“I want to go back to the standards of the previous mayors who, I believe, subscribed to my belief that people who are suspected of committing serious crimes in this city should be held accountable.” Adams added.

In 1989, Mayor Ed Koch enacted an executive order that barred agencies from sharing immigrant’s information unless authorized by the immigrant or a criminal matter was involved.

Mayor Bill de Blasio expanded on Koch’s policy in November of 2014 when he signed Introductions 486-A and 487-A into law. De Blasio’s Introductions ended the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in all city facilities and at Rikers Island. Additionally, they limited New York City’s cooperation with “overboard federal immigration enforcement practices, except where there are public safety concerns.” 

These actions ultimately prohibited DOC and NYPD from honoring ICE detainer requests.

According to CNN, current New York City law does include some exceptions. These include people that are on the federal terrorist watchlist and those with recent convictions for specific violent crimes being exempt from the rule. In addition, ICE can obtain judicial warrants for individuals.

A statement released by the New York Immigration Coalition earlier this month read in part, “Recent incidents in New York City have fueled fear-mongering and baseless attacks on sanctuary city policies. New York’s long-standing sanctuary policies are public safety measures – laws that protect entire communities and encourage immigrants to access police protection…”

Proponents of sanctuary city policies have argued that they make cities safer for communities of migrants that fear speaking to law enforcement and are vulnerable to crime, as well as communities in general. Meanwhile, these same policies are stirring discussion between Democrats and Republicans, as some Republicans feel that the blame for the crisis at the Southern Border rests on the Democrats' shoulders.

Mayor Adams’ call for change in policy highlights the challenges faced by Democratic mayors nationwide, who have been historically supportive of sanctuary cities.

“The overwhelming number of migrants and asylum seekers that are here, they want to work, but those small numbers that are committing crimes, we need to modify the sanctuary city law that if you commit a felony, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to ICE and have you deported,” Adams stated.

So far, no specific changes to the law have been outlined by Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams stated that the body has no plans to take up any changes.