A New York judge has ordered city officials to temporarily halt a plan allowing federal immigration agents to operate within the Rikers Island jail complex.
In a written order Monday, Judge Mary Rosado barred the city from “taking any steps toward negotiating, signing, or implementing any Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government” before an April 25 hearing in a suit challenging the plan.
The hearing will focus on a lawsuit filed last week by the New York City Council against Mayor Eric Adams, which seeks to block his recent executive order permitting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies to maintain office space at the jail complex. The lawsuit and temporary halt are based on the city council’s challenge to the mayor’s executive order.
The suit accuses Adams, a Democrat, of entering into a “corrupt quid pro quo bargain” with the Trump administration in exchange for the Justice Department dropping criminal charges against him. Adams has repeatedly denied making any deal with the administration over the criminal case.
Adams has said the presence of ICE and other federal agencies within the jail complex will allow them to assist in gang and drug-related investigations, but that they would have no role in civil immigration enforcement. You can find press releases and official statements on the NYC.gov website.
The mayor previously announced he would deputize his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro, to handle all decision-making on the return of ICE to Rikers Island in order to “ensure there was never even the appearance of any conflict.” Mastro said last week that discussions with the federal government over the plan were ongoing.
ICE agents previously had a presence at the Rikers Island facility, which is in the East River. However, they were effectively banned from operating there in 2014 under New York City’s sanctuary laws, which limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. For more information about ICE, their website is located here: https://www.ice.gov/
Republicans in Congress are taking aim at several cities, often called “sanctuary cities,” over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement. Mayors Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, Mike Johnston of Denver and Eric Adams of New York are set to appear Wednesday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability website can be found here: https://oversight.house.gov/
There’s no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE enforces U.S. immigration laws nationwide but seeks state and local help, particularly for large-scale deportations, requesting that police and sheriffs alert them to people it wants to deport and hold them until federal officers take custody.
But some cities and states say cooperating with ICE means victims of crime and witnesses who aren’t in the U.S. legally won’t come forward. And, to varying degrees, officials argue that they want their localities to be welcoming places for immigrants.
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