Mayor Eric Adams announced his willingness to collaborate with Tom Homan, President-elect Trump’s designated border czar, signaling a dramatic reversal in the city’s approach to illegal immigration enforcement.
During a charged press conference on Tuesday, Adams defended his decision to engage with the incoming Trump administration, emphasizing the urgent need to address criminal activities by individuals in the country illegally while maintaining protections for law-abiding immigrants.
When confronted by critics from the left, Adams referenced similar positions taken by Democratic stalwarts Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
“Well, cancel me, because I’m going to protect the people of this city,” he responded defiantly, adding that criminals targeting innocent New Yorkers and asylum seekers would face consequences under his administration.
“I’m not going to be warring with this administration, I’m going to be working with this administration,” Adams also declared, setting the stage for what could become a controversial partnership with Homan, who will spearhead Trump’s promised mass deportation initiative.
Fox News reported that the mayor, who has spent $6.4 billion addressing the migrant crisis, highlighted a recent 21-week decrease in arrivals while acknowledging mounting public pressure for systemic reform.
“The American people have communicated to us loudly and clearly: We have a broken system,” Adams said, emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions.
Despite potential backlash from progressive allies, Adams stood firm on his stance regarding criminal illegal immigrants, while maintaining that law-abiding unauthorized residents “should not be rounded up in the middle of the night.”
Fox noted that the mayor’s position represents a significant departure from New York’s current sanctuary policies, which prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The outlet further reported that Homan, appearing on “America’s Newsroom” Monday, expressed openness to the proposed meeting.
“I’m willing to meet with anybody to help make their communities safer,” he said, outlining his priority of addressing public safety threats through coordinated efforts.
Fox highlighted that the mayor’s office continues to provide services for migrants, including assistance with Temporary Protected Status applications and case management.
However, Adams has increasingly advocated for modifying sanctuary policies to allow ICE access to individuals suspected of major crimes, marking a significant shift in the city’s approach to immigration enforcement.
Adams also made headlines this week for defending the former Marine Daniel Penny’s actions in the fatal subway confrontation with Jordan Neely.
The mayor simultaneously criticized media coverage of the incident.
Daily Wire reported that as the jury began deliberations on Tuesday, Adams spoke with former gubernatorial candidate and radio host Rob Astorino, offering a stark perspective on the circumstances that led to Neely’s death.
“We’re now on the subway where we’re hearing someone talking about hurting people, killing people,” Adams stated.
“You have someone [Penny] on that subway who was responding, doing what we should have done as a city.”
The incident, which has captured national attention, occurred when Penny restrained Neely using a chokehold after witnesses reported Neely making threats to subway passengers.
The Post Millennial (TPM) reported that according to eyewitness testimony, the situation had escalated to the point where women were sheltering their children from Neely’s threatening behavior and erratic rants.
Adams, who has recently adopted a more moderate stance on various issues, pointed to systemic failures in addressing mental health concerns throughout the city.
“Then you look at the complete failure of our mental health system, a complete failure from the days of closing psychiatric wards and having those who needed help just turned over into the street without giving any safety net to accept them,” he explained, per TPM.
