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NYC lawmakers oppose ICE return to Rikers
Sanctuary laws ended ICE using Rikers to identify undocumented detainees, but Mayor Adams’ new order restores ICE access.
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Pranavi Sharma - Mon, 14, Apr 2025
- 03:01 EDT
- 154
Stock image. / Getty Images
Indian American Council Member Shekar Krishnan, representing District 25, is among 30 council members and other local officials who have signed a letter demanding that Mayor Eric Adams immediately withdraw an executive order authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reestablish offices on Rikers Island.
The letter, sent directly to Mayor Adams, sharply criticizes the administration's decision, calling it “an egregious circumvention of the law driven by self-interest.” The signatories argue that the move threatens to undermine New York City's long-established sanctuary laws, which they credit with fostering public trust and improving safety across the city.
“New York City's long-standing sanctuary laws not only reflect our values as a city, but also make us all safer and our public institutions stronger,” the letter states. “They empower all New Yorkers to interact with city agencies, access vital city services, and start thriving businesses.”
For years, ICE agents at Rikers Island identified undocumented detainees for deportation, turning the jail into a federal pipeline. Sanctuary laws barred them in 2014, halting the practice. Now, after a decade, Mayor Eric Adams' executive order will allow ICE to return, restoring their access to the city’s largest jail.
In response to @NYCMayor's announcement of an executive order to establish ICE operations on Rikers Island, 30 city council members & other representatives of the people of NYC signed onto a letter demanding that he rescind the order. @CMSandyNursehttps://t.co/gwgZSeJSRJ pic.twitter.com/BFLoGC3amn
— Alexa Avilés (@CMAlexaAviles) April 10, 2025
The council members warn that allowing ICE back onto Rikers Island reverses decades of policy progress and could once again result in thousands of New Yorkers being funneled from city jails into federal immigration detention. The letter notes that prior to the sanctuary protections, ICE’s presence on Rikers led to the deportation of 3,000 to 4,000 people annually—many of whom were held far from their families and legal counsel. It also highlights the financial burden the city once shouldered to support federal deportation efforts, estimating an annual cost of over $50 million.
The letter frames the executive order as part of a broader alignment with the policies of President Donald Trump. “This executive order is a fearmongering attempt to instill panic across New York's diverse immigrant communities and bends to the will of Trump's racist anti-immigrant agenda,” the letter states. It also suggests that the timing of the order raises questions about the Mayor’s own legal challenges, referencing a federal judge’s remark that “everything here smacks of a bargain.”
The council members assert that the Mayor's order stands in direct conflict with the city's legislative authority. “It is the City Council, not the Mayor, that makes our laws and our body has been clear: New York City is not in the mass deportation business,” the letter reads.
The group has called on Mayor Adams to take three immediate steps: rescind the executive order, release all agreements and communications with the federal government regarding ICE’s return to Rikers Island, and make public all Department of Correction policies related to ICE’s presence and cooperation inside city facilities.
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