Immigration activists New York City on Thursday criticized Mayor Eric Adam's meeting with incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan, accusing him of “collaborating” with the new administration.
“It is unfortunate that Mayor Adams continues to shirk his responsibilities to support New York City’s existing policies and values as a sanctuary city by collaborating with Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border official,” Murad Awawda, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement. statement.
Adams will meet with Homan Thursday afternoon. Adams said he wanted to sit down with Homan and talk about cooperation on deporting violent criminals specifically. Homan has repeatedly said that public safety threats will be a priority for the expected mass deportation campaign.
Trump's border meeting with New York City Mayor Adams despite the city's safe status
Incoming border czar Tom Homan spoke with Dr. Phil about the Trump administration's plan to deport illegal immigrants. (Dr. Phil Podcast channel on YouTube.)
“I will not go to war with this administration, I will work with this administration.” Adams said Last week. “President Trump is the president-elect. And whoever he chooses to run his agencies. I'm looking forward to sitting down and seeing how we can improve New York.”
“I would like to speak to our border czar and find out what his plans are. Where there is common ground between us, we can work together. I firmly believe that my history is to sit down with those who have different ways of thinking and thinking.” “Sit down and share my thoughts,” he said. “I think I have some ideas that can address this issue, and we can get to what the American people are telling us to do: secure our borders, stand up to people who commit violence in our country and make sure … our citizens will be safe.”
But he also made it clear that otherwise “law-abiding immigrants should not be arrested” in the middle of the night.
Adams also had a message for critics on the left, asking them to “cancel me.”
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FILE – New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks to reporters after a news conference in New York, Monday, September 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wing, File)
“Okay, I rescind my order, because I'm going to protect the people of this city, and if you come to this country, in this city, and think you're going to hurt innocent New Yorkers and innocent immigrants and innocent asylum seekers, that's not the mayor you want to be in a city under,” he said. .
But that did not prevent criticism from activist groups regarding the meeting.
“New Yorkers know that under Homan ICE will be used to divide us and target us harshly distorting the image of immigrants, It makes all New Yorkers more dangerous, Al-Awawda said. “Many of us remember the shooting and street brawl that occurred as a result of the actions of ICE in a Brooklyn neighborhood, in 2020, that led to a New York immigrant being shot in the face.”
“Targeting immigrants for detention and deportation is devastating and diverts resources away from initiatives that actually promote safety and well-being. Mayor Adams has an obligation to every New Yorker family to preserve our public safety by refusing to participate in ICE’s cruel and politicized immigration agenda ). “.
“Study after study shows that cities with large immigrant populations are safer than those with fewer immigrants, and that places with sanctuary policies have lower crime rates. It is clear that Adams is prioritizing his personal political interest over the needs and public safety of all New Yorkers, Al-Awawda said.
Meanwhile, Homan said last week that he was open to meeting with Adams.
He added: “I'm willing to meet with him, and I'm willing to meet with anyone to help make their communities safer.” Homan said in “America's Newsroom” after being contacted by the Adams administration.
“Prioritizing out of the gate is a threat to public safety; work with us on this. It makes your community safer. It keeps my officers safe. It keeps the community safe. Let's work together and get this done.”
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Adams has taken a tougher approach to illegal immigration than many of his Democratic counterparts, including by proposing to roll back sanctuary policies to allow criminals to be deported. Other Democrats have promised either to resist or Doesn't help In deportations
