New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams appeared to walk back on the migrant laws that were put in place as a result of being considered a sanctuary city Monday night at a town hall meeting, video footage showed.
A clip of the Town Hall meeting with Adams was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by independent photographer Leeroy Johnson who captured the moment the Democrat mayor appeared to roll back on his sanctuary city’s laws. Within the footage residents could be seen lining up in what appears to be a Q&A for Adams.
While it is unclear why Adams began talking about the ongoing migrant crisis within the city, he stated that there needs to be a modification to the “sanctuary city law” allowing officials to deport illegal immigrants who commit a felony or violent act. (RELATED: Blue City Law Allowing Non-Citizens To Vote Ruled Unconstitutional)
“I still don’t understand why the federal government [isn’t] allowing them to work. They need to have the right to work, like all of us that have come to this country have had the ability to do so. But those small numbers that have committed crimes, we need to modify the sanctuary city law that if you commit a felony or violent act we should be able to turn you over to ICE and have you deported,” Adams stated as the crowd applauded.
Canarsie Brooklyn NY
During a Town Hall Meeting the @NYCMayor states that NYC needs to modify the Sanctuary city law so if some migrants who commit felonies should be tuned over to ICE and be deported.
🎥 @LeeroyPress
For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/yrBlTySAsj— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 27, 2024
In another clip posted by Johnson online, Adams could be seen stating that his hands are tied legally for many of the ongoing questions surrounding the city’s migrant crisis. The Democrat mayor continued to highlight that NYC has handled the issue like “no other city,” telling people to compare the town to others dealing with the same issues.
“People tell me all the time, they see me on the street and they say, ‘Well Eric why don’t you stop the buses from coming in?’ It’s against the law, I can’t. ‘Why don’t you allow those who want to work – allow them to work?’ It’s against the law – the federal law – I can’t. ‘Why do you say you have to house everyone that [comes] in?’ Because that’s the law. ‘Why don’t you deport those who commit crimes and harm people that are not doing the right thing?’ It’s against the law, I can’t,” Adams stated.
“So I am inheriting a national crisis that I have to resolve and we are resolving that crisis like no other city, folks. Go Google other cities. You don’t see tent cities in New York. You don’t see children and families sleeping on the street in New York. This team here has managed the crisis each time they come.”
Canarsie Brooklyn NY
During a town hall meeting, the @NYCMayor explains that by law, he has to house the migrants and due to federal law, he can’t turn the busses or planes around. He also states him and his team did the job better than any state or city.
Filmed by @LeeroyPress… pic.twitter.com/qu1p55qv7W— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 27, 2024
The blue city has dealt with a slew of issues regarding the massive amount of illegal immigrants that have entered NYC after being buses from Texas since last year. Adams has appeared to flip-flop on the crisis as he cut aid to migrants by a rough total of 30% and imposed a curfew on several shelters, however, the mayor announced a new $53 million taxpayer-funded program that will hand out prepaid credit cards to the city’s illegal immigrants.
NYC additionally received major attention from media outlets after two New York Police Officers were shown in late January getting attacked by a group of illegal immigrants in Times Square. While some of the migrants connected to the attack were arrested, they were quickly released where they went viral after flipping off cameras as they walked out of the courthouse.