Mayor Adams moves to allow ICE agents on Rikers Island in sanctuary city policy shift

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced plans to issue an executive order allowing federal immigration authorities to operate on Rikers Island, marking a significant shift in the city’s long-standing sanctuary city policies.

What we know:

The move follows a meeting between Adams and Border Czar Tom Homan on Thursday, where they discussed efforts to remove violent migrant gangs from New York City.

For two decades, ICE agents were allowed to operate on Rikers Island, but this authority was revoked under sanctuary policies established in 2014. Adams’ order seeks to reinstate this collaboration, focusing specifically on assisting the Correctional Intelligence Bureau in investigating violent criminals and gangs.

"Since the spring of 2022, New York City has been forced to shoulder the burden of a national humanitarian crisis where more than 230,000 migrants have come to our city seeking support, at a cost of approximately $7 billion, with little help from the previous administration," Adams said in a statement. "That is why I have been clear that I want to work with the new federal administration, not war with them, to find common ground and make better the lives of New Yorkers."

New York City’s sanctuary policies prevent local authorities from assisting federal immigration enforcement in most cases, including barring ICE agents from Department of Correction facilities. Adams’ executive order could challenge these laws.

Alongside this ICE directive, Adams and Homan also discussed embedding additional NYPD detectives into federal task forces targeting gang violence and criminal networks. 

Big picture view:

The decision is likely to fuel debate over immigration enforcement in New York City. Supporters argue that increased federal cooperation will help curb violent crime, while critics warn that the move could weaken protections for immigrants and set a precedent for further policy rollbacks.

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The timing of the announcement may also raise questions about Adams' relationship with the Trump administration. Earlier this week, the Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Adams, leading to Adams' opponents in the Democratic mayoral primary claiming that Adams had agreed to do Trump's bidding in exchange for leniency.

"Instead of standing up for New Yorkers, Adams is standing up for precisely one person," said Brad Lander, the city’s comptroller and a mayoral challenger.

Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblymember who is also running for mayor, called for an investigation into whether Adams "cut any kind of deal with the Trump administration that involves breaking city law."

"It seems clear that the person we’ve had in City Hall the last several months is the real Eric Adams, and New Yorkers shouldn’t forget that," NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said in part in a statement. "He owes New Yorkers what he has refused to demonstrate to date: honesty, transparency, humility, and some assurance that he can make up for his many bad decisions that got us here."

What's next:

The executive order is expected to take effect in the coming weeks, though legal challenges could delay its implementation. Opponents of the policy may seek to block it through the courts, while Adams maintains that public safety remains his administration’s top priority.

"Keeping the 8.3 million New Yorkers who call our city home safe is—and will always remain—our administration’s North Star," Adams said.