Lawsuit by Trump over sanctuary cities underscores clash between Eric Adams and City Council on immigration policies
In a significant turn of events, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an active lawsuit against New York City and its leaders, including Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, accusing them of implementing sanctuary city policies that obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit, filed on July 24, 2025, in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that these policies prevent cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), such as sharing information on release dates of undocumented immigrants, resulting in the release of individuals who may pose public safety risks.
The DOJ contends that the city honoured only about 4% of ICE detainer requests in 2024, thereby releasing thousands of criminals onto the streets, which they argue endangers law-abiding citizens. Attorney General Pam Bondi has strongly criticized the city’s approach and vowed to act if New York City fails to prioritize citizen safety.
The lawsuit highlights recent tragic incidents, including a July 20, 2025 attack on an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer in Manhattan by an undocumented immigrant, which intensified federal efforts to crack down on sanctuary policies.
This legal action is part of a broader nationwide DOJ crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions — with simultaneous lawsuits against other cities and states such as Los Angeles, New York State, Colorado, and several New Jersey municipalities.
Within New York City’s political landscape, the lawsuit has intensified existing tensions between Mayor Eric Adams, who supports the sanctuary policies’ intention but urges modifications to target violent criminals more effectively, and the City Council, which has largely resisted changing those laws.
The lawsuit cites Mayor Eric Adams describing a man arrested for sexual assault as the "poster child of what's wrong" with the city not coordinating with federal immigration authorities. However, both Mayor Adams and the DOJ have denied that such a dynamic exists.
The mayor's administration supports the "essence" of the sanctuary city policies but believes the City Council should modify the laws to more easily target immigrants who commit violent crimes. The lawsuit alleges that the City Council has thwarted any association with federal immigration authorities.
Notably, the lawsuit notes the mayor's directive for First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro to sign an executive order to allow federal immigration officials to reestablish an office on Rikers Island.
Mayor Eric Adams has stated that his job is to protect the safety of every person in the city and has worked to do so for nearly four years. The current status of the lawsuit remains active, and its outcome could have significant implications for New York City's immigration policies.
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- The ongoing lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice against New York City and its leaders is part of a broader nationwide crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions, also involving cities and states like Los Angeles, New York State, Colorado, and several New Jersey municipalities.
- The lawsuit against New York City alleges that the city's policies on immigration, particularly its sanctuary city policies, obstruct federal immigration enforcement, preventing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and releasing potentially dangerous individuals into the general public.
- The lawsuit, in citing a man arrested for sexual assault as the "poster child of what's wrong" with the city's lack of coordination with federal immigration authorities, accuses the City Council of thwarting any association with federal immigration officials and hampering efforts to target immigrants who commit violent crimes.
