New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed his intention to bypass the city’s sanctuary laws to support President-elect Donald Trump’s administration in deporting illegal immigrants. The surprising announcement came during an interview on CBS-TV’s The Point With Marcia Kramer on Sunday, where Adams discussed his plans to address the ongoing immigration crisis.
During the interview, host Marcia Kramer pressed Adams about his forthcoming meeting with Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming border czar. The mayor responded by emphasizing his focus on deporting individuals with criminal records, even if it means overriding the city’s sanctuary policies.
Adams acknowledged that the City Council opposes altering the sanctuary city law, which protects undocumented immigrants from deportation by limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. “The City Council made it clear they don’t want to change that. They stated they’re not willing to change the sanctuary city law. I think they’re wrong,” Adams said.
The mayor then hinted at the possibility of taking unilateral action. “I have my teams looking at my power as executive orders,” he added, suggesting that he may bypass legislative hurdles to enact his proposed changes.
When asked directly by Kramer if he might issue an executive order to override the sanctuary laws, Adams did not rule out the option.
Adams’ comments mark a stark departure from the typical stance of Democratic leaders in sanctuary cities, who often resist federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. His willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration could signal a pragmatic shift in addressing New York City’s mounting challenges related to immigration.
The city has been grappling with a significant influx of migrants, which has strained resources and sparked heated debates among officials. While Adams has previously expressed frustration with federal immigration policies, his latest remarks suggest a more cooperative approach with the incoming administration.
Mayor Adams: “We’re looking at that. The legal team, the corporation counsel that they just approved, they’re looking at, the office is looking at. Do I have the power to do so? I have to protect the people of this city. That is my north star. It always has been. And if you are committing crimes on migrants, on immigrants, undocumented, documented, it’s all the same to me. And I want to address that.”
Kramer: “So I want to understand this. You’re thinking of an executive order that would allow you to change the sanctuary city laws so there could be more cooperation with the feds.”
Mayor Adams: “No. I told the corporation counsel, give me what are my options. I want to know what my options are. As I stated almost a year ago, I want to look at those who are committing serious violent felonies in our city. And I want to know what are my powers. Once the City Council made it clear, we’re not changing the sanctuary city laws to allow ICE to go after those dangerous offenders. Once they made that clear, I went to plan B and said, what are my options and my powers?”
Partial transcript of interview:
Marcia Kramer: Mayor Adams meets with the new federal border czar this week. What’s on his agenda? So, Mr. Mayor, what is on your agenda when you meet with Tom Homan at City Hall?
Mayor Eric Adams: It’s all about hearing in a very clear way what’s the message and the goal of the border czar, and see how do we collaborate to deal with the securing of our borders and making sure that we can ensure that this city retains and continues to be the safest big city in America.
Kramer: But what level of cooperation are you willing to give him?
Mayor Adams: Well, and that’s the most important question. Many people are speculating. In order to answer that question, we need to first find out what the mission is. I know what my mission is.
Kramer: What is your mission?
Mayor Adams: Public safety. That has always been my north star. Prior to the election, even when I communicated to the president and his team, the current president, I stated over and over again we have to deal with the small number of violent offenders who are making their way into our country. In particular, it’s a very dangerous Venezuelan gang. It is not the overwhelming number of migrants and asylum seekers. And many of these gang members are preying on migrants and asylum seekers also.
Kramer: So do you want those gang members, if you get them caught up in a crime, once they’ve been arrested, should they be deported before trial?
Mayor Adams: And I want to hear what the border czar’s beliefs around that. My belief has always been, I want you when you’re arrested to serve your time because you’re not giving justice to the person who was victimized by them because then if they go out, they can come right back into the country. So I want to hear from the border czar and engage in a conversation and tell them some of my ideas.
Adams’ comments have sparked a wave of reactions from both supporters and critics. Advocates for stricter immigration enforcement praised the mayor’s openness to working with federal authorities, viewing it as a necessary step to restore order and prioritize public safety.
However, immigrant rights groups and progressive lawmakers strongly opposed the idea, arguing that such actions could undermine trust in local government and endanger vulnerable communities.
The proposal also raises legal and political questions about the extent of the mayor’s authority to override sanctuary laws through executive action.
Mayor Adams’ meeting with Tom Homan is expected to shed more light on his plans for immigration enforcement in New York City. While it remains unclear whether Adams will move forward with an executive order, his remarks signal a potential turning point in the city’s approach to sanctuary policies.
As the immigration crisis continues to unfold, Adams’ willingness to prioritize deporting criminal aliens could spark significant political and legal battles, both locally and nationally. Whether this marks a shift in New York City’s traditionally progressive stance on immigration or a one-off response to unprecedented challenges remains to be seen.
Is he worried that Homan will go after him.?
If Communist Kamala had managed to cheat like Hell and win, Adam’s would have continued to protect the Illegals.
he ran for office as a tough guy, went squishy. Now he is flip flopping again? knee grows have NO content, NO character. Marxist Luther King didn’t either