(The Center Square) – New York’s liberal immigration policy landed it on the federal government’s updated list of sanctuary jurisdictions on Tuesday.
The designation means the state “impedes enforcement of federal immigration laws.” New York City and Rochester were singled out as local-level offenders.
The release says the executive order of second-term Republican President Donald Trump – Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens – requires the publishing of the list of state and local jurisdictions that obstruct enforcement of federal immigration law.
“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”
Last month, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit against New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other local officials, citing its 35-year history of intensifying “efforts to thwart immigration enforcement.
A City Hall spokeswoman said the mayor supports the “essence” of sanctuary laws put in place by the City Council, but said they “go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets.”
“The job of a mayor is to protect the safety of every single person in their city – and that’s exactly what Mayor Adams has worked to do every day for nearly four years,” Kayla Mamelak, Adams’ press secretary, said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Adam’s invited ICE to reopen its offices at the notorious Rikers Island jail, but the move was blocked by a court challenge from the Democratic majority City Council and immigrant groups.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit specifically cited a botched robbery and shooting of an off-duty U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer by a “criminal alien” with a lengthy criminal record, whose apprehension the Trump administration said had been prevented by the city’s sanctuary provisions.
“These provisions intentionally obstruct the sharing of information envisioned and affirmatively protected by Congress, including sharing basic information such as release dates, court appearance dates, and custodial status,” the lawsuit states. “The challenged provisions also impair federal detention of removable aliens, including dangerous criminals, contrary to federal law.”
New York City has been a flashpoint in the national immigration debate with more than 230,000 migrants arriving in the city since early 2022 following a surge of immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border. The city has spent about $8 billion on housing, food and other costs for migrants, according to the Adams administration. ICE operations in the city have arrested nearly 29,000 undocumented immigrants, according to the agency’s website.
Chris Wade contributed to this report.
