Mayor Eric Adams, in a major break with his predecessors, recently said New York City should modify its “sanctuary city” policies limiting communication and cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration-enforcement officials.
Twice this week, Adams told reporters he thinks city agencies should be empowered to cooperate with federal authorities to deport immigrants suspected of committing violent or serious crimes.
Prevailing policy bars the city from honoring requests by immigration authorities to hold or detain suspects for immigration officials unless the accused person has been convicted of certain violent crimes and a judge has ordered their removal. It also bars the use of city personnel or other resources to help enforce immigration laws.
“We should be communicating with ICE [federal Immigration and Custom Enforcement], and if ICE makes the determination of deporting, then they should,” Adams said, as reported by the AP.
Muzaffar Chishti is a senior fellow and director of the Migrant Policy Institute office at New York University School of Law.
Photo courtesy of the Migrant Policy Institute
The comments from the Democrat and retired NYPD captain followed a series of high-profile violent crimes where migrants were charged as suspects. Adams’ remarks prompted a host of questions about sanctuary city policies — not the least of which is what the politically loaded designation actually means.
“All Things Considered” host Sean Carlson discussed these issues with Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow and director at the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute’s NYU Law School office. A transcript of their conversation follows. It has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Carlson: The term “sanctuary city” has become such a political football over the years. I’m not even sure many people even know what it actually means. So, can we start with what is a sanctuary city and how did New York City become one?
Chishti: Well, there’s no dictionary meaning,…
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