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The Department of Justice has initiated legal action against New York City due to its sanctuary policies, in the midst of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities and increase deportation raids.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in New York, names New York City Mayor Eric Adams and several other city officials as defendants.
“A mayor’s responsibility is to ensure the safety of every individual in their city, and Mayor Adams has been dedicated to this mission for almost four years,” stated Kayla Mamelak Altus, press secretary for Adams. “Ensuring the safety of New Yorkers also involves creating an environment where they feel secure. Mayor Adams believes that no one should be hesitant to call 911, send their children to school, or seek medical assistance. No New Yorker should feel compelled to live in fear and hide in the shadows.”
“This is why the mayor supports the core principles of the local laws established by the City Council. However, he has expressed concerns that these laws may go too far in addressing violent criminals on our streets. He has urged the Council to revisit these laws to ensure effective collaboration with the federal government in enhancing the city’s safety. Thus far, the Council has declined to do so. We will carefully review the lawsuit,” Altus added.
The lawsuit alleges that the city has implemented policies with the intention of obstructing the federal government’s ability to enforce immigration laws.
“New York City has a long history of impeding the enforcement of the country’s immigration laws. Its status as a sanctuary city dates back to 1989, and its efforts to hinder federal immigration enforcement have only grown stronger since then,” the lawsuit states.
The Department of Justice highlighted New York’s policy that prevents its Department of Corrections from complying with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers, which require notifying federal immigration authorities upon the release of a criminal undocumented immigrant from jail.
The New York Police Department was also subject to a similar provision, as mentioned in the lawsuit. In 2014, the city further resisted cooperation with ICE by amending its sanctuary city policy to specify that immigration detainers would only be honored with a warrant issued by an Article III judge or magistrate judge, and if the individual had a conviction for a “violent or serious” crime within the past five years or was a potential match on the federal terrorist watch list.
“Sanctuary cities only offer sanctuary to criminals. President Trump pledged to Make America Safe Again and deport criminal undocumented immigrants. However, sanctuary cities like NYC are directly contradicting the mandate that President Trump was elected to fulfill, and American citizens are bearing the consequences. The Trump Administration will not tolerate local officials interfering with the enforcement of federal immigration laws,” stated White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a communication to Fox News Digital.
According to the lawsuit, crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in the city have prompted several city leaders to advocate for cooperation with ICE.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that the federal government had to step in to safeguard the well-being of New Yorkers.
“If New York’s leaders are unwilling to safeguard their constituents, we will,” Bondi asserted.
U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliatakis, R-N.Y., praised the legal action, describing sanctuary policies as “misguided, costly, and dangerous.”
“Enhancing public safety in our communities begins with New York City complying with ICE’s detainer requests. Failing to do so results in dangerous criminals remaining on our streets,” Malliatakis stated.
The legislator disclosed that she had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request which revealed that over 16,000 crimes were committed by numerous individuals residing in hotels and shelters at the expense of taxpayers.
Fox News Digital has made attempts to reach out to Mayor Adams and the White House.
In a separate incident in June, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles over its sanctuary policies. The city has been engaged in a dispute with the Trump administration regarding deportation raids and anti-ICE protests.
