An internal memo to city workers on potential interactions with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents prompted both confusion and anger across the city last week when it first emerged in news reports. The document, which was first sent ahead of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, tells employees to take down the agents’ information, ask for the warrant, and to contact legal counsel from the city. But the memo ultimately advises workers to give agents the information they request if they “reasonably feel threatened” or fear for their safety, advice that stands in stark contrast with the city’s sanctuary status.
The City reported Monday that, during a meeting with top administration officials and agency commissioners to clarify the city’s guidance, Mayor Eric Adams instructed them to not interfere with federal immigration orders and to refrain from criticizing the current Trump administration on social media. Per the outlet, among the attendees of the meeting at the Manhattan Municipal Building were police commissioner Jessica Tisch, school chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, as well as multiple deputy mayors. According to the Daily News, Adams told officials that they risked the city losing $2 billion in federal infrastructure dollars by getting into a public rift with the Trump administration.
The new direction from Adams comes as the mayor has deepened his relationship with Trump and has made it clear that he intends to work with his administration, particularly on immigration. In December, Adams met with Tom Homan, Trump’s hardline “border czar,” saying that the two of them share commonalities on the issue.
Adams’s reported advice against criticizing Trump mimics his own posture toward the president as speculation grows that the mayor is hoping to receive a pardon as he awaits trial on federal bribery and campaign-finance charges. In recent weeks, Adams has traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend Trump’s inauguration in January and the National Prayer Breakfast last Thursday.
Several of Adams’s primary challengers weighed in on the report on social media. State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani wrote, “Mayor Adams is focusing his entire administration on a singular goal: keeping himself out of prison. And he will sacrifice anyone to achieve it.”
State Senator Zellnor Myrie said, “Another day, another example of Eric Adams kissing the ring.”
In a post, State Senator Jessica Ramos wrote, “There’s a lot wrong with this, but the biggest problem? @NYCMayor asking us to ‘trust’ him on Trump. New Yorkers can’t, and he knows it.”
