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By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
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Divisions deepened between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the city council Friday after a leaked memo sent to schools, shelters, and hospitals appeared to advise workers to let federal immigration agents into sites that are meant to be protected by sanctuary laws.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and her colleagues called the City Hall advisory "highly irresponsible, confusing, and dangerous" for immigrants fearful of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers under President Donald Trump.
Friday evening, Kayla Altus, press secretary for Adams, sent the following to Newsweek via email:
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"Let's be very clear: anyone perpetuating the claim that New York City is instructing city employees to simply open doors for federal law enforcement, including ICE, is spreading misinformation that only fuels anxiety within immigrant communities and our city's workforce. The legal guidance sent out on January 13th outlines a series of steps for city workers on how to respond to non-local law enforcement attempting to enter city property. This includes asking for an agent's credentials, asking for a warrant, and contacting the agency's general counsel.
"Prior to and following the issuance of this guidance, we had been in constant communication with our city agencies, where we discussed numerous hypotheticals, including if law enforcement were to be in pursuit of a violent criminal, and used this guidance to inform how to respond. This is a rapidly evolving situation, and, as a result, we are in the process of finalizing further guidance for city workers to follow if they encounter federal law enforcement attempting to enter a building. The safety of our employees is equally paramount as the safety of those in our care, which is precisely why we want to make it clear that city employees should not put themselves or those in our care in harm's way by interfering with law enforcement if they persist."
Why It Matters
The Democrat-run sanctuary city has been one of the main focuses of the immigration surge over the past three years, welcoming over 200,000 new residents, many of whom illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has been vocal in his disapproval of sanctuary policies, which he and others in the Republican Party see as standing in the way of mass deportation plans.
An AP-NORC poll, conducted from January 9 to 13 among 1,147 adults, found that 83 percent of Americans support deporting migrants living in the U.S. illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime, while only 6 percent would oppose doing so.
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What To Know
The memo, originally circulated on January 13 ahead of Trump's return to the White House, came to light Thursday. It offers advice to city employees should a federal law enforcement agent come to their workplace, such as schools, shelters, hospitals or other city buildings.
While the memo, obtained by The New York Times, appeared to tell workers not to allow ICE or other federal agents inside without a warrant, it also offered reasons to allow them access.
"If, at any time, you reasonably feel threatened or ear for your safety or the safety of others around you, you should give the officer the information they have asked for (if available to you) or let them enter the site," the memo read. It later stated that it was a federal offense to conceal, harbor, or shield an illegal immigrant from federal officers.
The memo sparked anger from immigration advocacy groups in the city, which have been working to teach those without legal status their rights, should ICE show up. New York Immigration Coalition's president Murad Awawdeh said in a statement that the mayor was not respecting the city's laws.
After Trump's resounding election win in November, the city's Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom promised that protections would remain in place for immigrants who had arrived in the city and were just looking to legally work and build a life.
Adams, meanwhile, has made statements in which he has said he will work with the Trump administration to remove illegal immigrants who commit serious or violent crimes. The Mayor, who is facing multiple federal charges relating to alleged corruption and bribery, has been accused of cozying up to the President in the hopes of having the charges overturned.
New York's sanctuary laws were first enacted in 2009, as a way to help immigrants feel safe in going to local police for help without fear of deportation, while also ensuring it was federal government officials carrying out immigration enforcement.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it wants to see the end of such policies, claiming that they stand in the way of federal agents and even shield illegal immigrants from deportation.
On Thursday, a lawsuit was filed against Chicago and Illinois leaders over their Sanctuary policies, while the House Oversight Committee summoned sanctuary city mayors, including Adams, to a hearing in the coming weeks to testify about the policies.
What People Are Saying
Peter Markowitz, a professor at New York's Cardozo Law School who helped write the city's sanctuary policies, told Newsweek: "The mayor is weak-kneed and attempting to carry favor with this president for his own personal gain, and in that context has expressed hostility to our laws, but it's not the mayor who gets to decide. The city council is the entity that can change the law and make the law, and the city council has been clear that it has no intention to do so."
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, and Council Member Alexa Avilés, in a joint statement: "This represents a betrayal of New Yorkers and our city. We call on the mayoral administration to rescind the problematic areas of this new guidance and instead provide clear direction that is in compliance with local laws and consistent with city policies. The Mayor and every Deputy Mayor have the responsibility to prioritize New York City and New Yorkers, not cater to the Trump's administration's extremism that seeks to sow fear and tear New York City families apart."
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman, Kentucky Republican Representative James Comer, in a press release on January 27: "Sanctuary jurisdictions and their misguided and obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe."
Awawdeh, in a press release: "This shameful action is turning what should be safe havens for all New York families into potential traps and making New York City complicit in carrying out Trump's cruel agenda. Adams' new directive will further force families into the shadows and leave countless New Yorkers vulnerable to detention and deportation simply for accessing basic services."
What's Next
ICE has already conducted raids in New York City and the surrounding area, with efforts expected to continue in the coming days and weeks as the Trump administration seeks to deliver on its promise of deporting upwards of 11 million illegal immigrants. Speaker Adams said the City Council was exploring its options in overturning the City Hall's advice.
Update 02/07/25 7:44 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Kayla Altus.
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