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By Nick Mordowanec
Staff Writer
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A nine-member bipartisan group of New York City Council members is pushing for the city to ditch its "sanctuary city" label in light of increased migrant flows and violence, with a leading official telling Newsweek it's "common sense."
On Thursday, legislation introduced by Robert Holden, a Democrat from Queens, and Joe Borelli, a Republican from Staten Island, would repeal sanctuary laws enacted by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and continued by Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017. The laws limit legal, probationary and police (NYPD) cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and prohibit city resources and property from being intertwined with federal immigration enforcement.
New York City has garnered national attention for its migrant surge, recently causing the city to reevaluate its migrant shelter system after accepting more than 200,000 migrants within the past two years, including some 65,000 housed in various capacities as of May.
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"We have enough criminals in this city; we don't need to import more and protect them as well," Holden told Newsweek via email on Friday. "Repealing the laws that have created a sanctuary city status is common sense.
"Those who are wanted for heinous crimes back home or commit crimes in our country should be deported without hesitation. We aim to end this reckless social experiment once and for all."
Newsweek reached out via email to Borelli for comment.
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams told Newsweek via email on Friday that his office is reviewing the legislation.
"Mayor Adams has been clear that no law-abiding New Yorker should ever be fearful of seeking city services or help from the police because of their immigration status," his office said. "That is [the] principal purpose of New York being a sanctuary city.
"But he has also expressed concerns about the small number of individuals who have abused these laws and committed repeat offenses in our city with no repercussions. That isn't fair to New Yorkers or to the tens of thousands of immigrants who have come here in pursuit of the American Dream."
A spokesperson for Holden told Newsweek that moving the bill forward "will be an uphill battle" while claiming that it's in the council members' best interest to honor their constituents who want criminals taken off the streets.
A poll published in May and conducted exclusively for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies of 974 eligible New York City voters found that more than 70 percent blamed migrants in the city for the current crime rate, with 41 percent saying immigration is having a "significant" impact and 31 percent saying a "fair amount" of impact.
The city drew more attention this week when 17-year-old migrant Bernardo Raul Castro-Mata allegedly shot at NYPD officers. He faces 17 charges, including two counts of attempted murder in the first degree.
"[Holden] has been speaking about this issue for years now," the spokesperson said. "He reminds people why DHS/ICE was formed in the aftermath of 9/11—because of lack of cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement—and how [being a] sanctuary city puts the city in danger.
"The increased flow of migrants into the city definitely has done more harm than good."
Update 6/7/24, 4:01 p.m. ET: This story was updated to modify the bill's language.
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