Democrat city council sues mayor for allowing ICE into major American prison
The city council is asking the court to declare an executive order by the mayor's office allowing ICE into Rikers Island "illegal, null, and void."
The lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court of New York on Tuesday. In the suit, the city council accuses Adams of engaging in an illegal "quid pro quo" with the Trump administration by allowing ICE into the city prison in exchange for having the federal corruption charges against him dropped.
The suit claims that Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, prioritized his own political goals over the city's "prized sanctuary laws," calling the executive order "the poisoned fruit of Mayor Adams's deal with the Trump Administration."
"Today, in New York City, a corrupt bargain is taking place in plain view: New York City Mayor Eric Adams … is using his official powers to pay off the Trump Administration for dropping criminal charges against him," the suit claims. "The 'purchase price'- which was agreed to in advance and is now being proffered - is the safety and wellbeing of immigrant communities and all New Yorkers whose rights are protected by our City's prized sanctuary laws."
At issue in the suit is an executive order signed by New York City First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro last week that allows federal immigration authorities to operate an office on Rikers Island to help carry out criminal investigations into drug trafficking, organized violence and migrant gang activity plaguing the city.
The order states that the safety of New Yorkers has been jeopardized by violent transnational gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua – gangs designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration – and there is a critical need for federal law enforcement to share "real-time" intelligence with the city's corrections department and police.
The order allows federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence with the corrections department and NYPD about criminal gang activity among individuals both inside and outside of custody.
It does not give ICE permission to carry out civil immigration enforcement and arrest people simply for being undocumented.
The order was issued the week after federal charges against Adams were dismissed. He had been accused of using his position as mayor to receive luxury travel and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish foreign nationals. Adams insisted the case was politically motivated and was pursued in retaliation for his criticism of President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Democrat who is running to unseat Adams, claimed in a Tuesday statement that the order allowing ICE to conduct immigration investigations on criminals at Rikers Island is "a naked attempt by Eric Adams to fulfill his end of the bargain for special treatment he received from the Trump administration."
She said the city council's lawsuit is an attempt to "protect the rights and safety of all New Yorkers against attacks by the Trump administration—because the city's mayor won't stop placing his own personal interests ahead of the people of our city."
Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for Adams, responded to the lawsuit by calling it "baseless" and "contrary to the public interest."
"The City Council appears to be spreading misinformation," Mamelak told Fox News Digital. "So let's be clear: To maintain the trust of the nearly 8.5 million New Yorkers our administration serves and protects every day — and to ensure there was never even the appearance of any conflict — Mayor Adams delegated all powers, responsibilities, and decision-making related to any action authorizing federal officials to investigate crimes at Rikers Island to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro."
The spokesperson said that Mastro "conducted a thorough and independent assessment — which included multiple visits to Rikers Island, conversations with federal law enforcement and our own Department of Correction officers, and more — and he independently concluded that a federal presence at Rikers to conduct federal criminal investigations is in New York City's best interest and protects public safety, particularly in our ongoing efforts to target violent transnational gangs now present in our city, including those designated as terrorist organizations."
"Executive Order 50 is expressly authorized by New York City's local laws — the very laws enacted by the City Council," said Mamelak. "While we will review the lawsuit, this one seems baseless and contrary to the public interest in protecting New Yorkers from violent criminals. We remain committed to our administration's efforts to reduce crime and keep New Yorkers safe — we hope the City Council will join us in doing so."
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