Over 500 undocumented migrants wanted for outstanding offenses have been apprehended in sanctuary communities, including three in New York, by federal law enforcement and ICE officials.
According to ICE, they have arrested 538 individuals and detained 373 undocumented immigrants in sanctuary cities throughout the United States.
In New York, ICE authorities detained an accused El Salvadorian MS-13 gang member, a Jamaican citizen arrested for sexual exploitation of a minor, and a Honduran citizen convicted of drunk driving.
Cities across the United States, including Boston, Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, DC, witnessed similar scenes.
The Trump administration’s attempt to force local law enforcement to assist in the detention and deportation of immigrants has been challenged by New York Attorney General Letitia James. She argues that state and local officials cannot be compelled to cooperate with ICE and that the Justice Department’s memo threatening criminal charges is unjust.
According to her, a significant number of immigration orders, which she refers to as “the noise that is coming from Washington,” are in violation of the constitution.
“The Constitution cannot be unilaterally rewritten by the president,” she emphasized. “We are open to collaborating with the Office of President Trump, but we will also ensure the protection of the rights of vulnerable or marginalized populations, including, but not limited to, immigrant communities.”
New York City schools were instructed in internal memos that ICE agents should never be permitted to enter the premises under any circumstances.
The NYPD has released a memo advising officers against providing assistance with federal immigration enforcement.
Mayor Eric Adams addressed the concerns raised by community members during a town hall in Corona, Queens on Wednesday night. He emphasized that the immigrant community in the city should not feel the need to go into hiding.
“We firmly believe that children should attend school, and individuals in need of medical care should seek assistance at hospitals,” he expressed. “Furthermore, individuals who find themselves involved in any form of interaction where they become victims of a crime should not hesitate to reach out to law enforcement agencies. We have consistently emphasized this point and will continue to advocate for the rights and well-being of all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status.”
New York, known as a sanctuary city, has laws in place that prohibit city agencies from cooperating with immigration agents, except in cases of criminal deportations.
Mayor Adams expresses his deep admiration for the laws that he is obligated to uphold. Robert Holden, a councilmember from Queens, represents the Democratic party.
Holden expressed his belief that it is not feasible to deport every individual who has been residing in the country illegally. Although he acknowledged the technical possibility of such action, he emphasized that it is unlikely to occur. Holden speculated that the authorities would prioritize the deportation of criminals, a measure that he believed most people would support.
However, there are those who raise doubts about the mayor’s intentions and his connection to President Trump.
“The mayor is somehow prohibited from saying certain things about the new president, so I’m not sure that that would happen,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
According to the council speaker, there has been no sight of any strategy to address the issue of mass deportations. She further emphasized the need for the mayor to be more proactive in protecting the rights of the city’s immigrant population.
In response to the council speaker, the mayor’s office released a statement on Thursday evening.
“At a time when anxiety is incredibly heightened and misinformation is being spread, it’s puzzling why anyone would give New Yorkers anything but the facts,” the statement said. “Just last week, City Hall gathered several high-raking members of our administration for a private meeting with the speaker and other councilmembers, where we discussed, in detail, the months of scenario planning we had prepared in response to new procedures at the federal level. This scenario planning included trainings, data protection, communication to external parties, federal advocacy, and looking at opportunities for partnership. As the mayor has repeatedly said, he plans to work with the new administration, not war with them, but it is unfortunate that some are choosing a different course.”
New York is home to over 400,000 undocumented immigrants, making it a significant population in the city.
In Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka disclosed that federal immigration and ICE agents conducted a raid in his city on Thursday.
“Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a local establishment in the City of Newark, detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant,” he said in a statement. “One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned.”
Baraka says the city “will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized.”
According to sources, the enforcement operations taking place this week were routine arrests, despite the promises made by “border czar” Tom Homan regarding large-scale raids.
In a federal court, a group of 22 states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco, filed a lawsuit to challenge President Trump’s executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented parents in the United States.
