New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams (D) expressed the city’s buyer’s remorse over sanctuary city laws during a town hall meeting on Monday night, suggesting lawmakers revisit the laws and modify them to reflect the reality that illegal immigration has overwhelmed municipal resources and the city cannot safely integrate illegal immigrants at this rate.
Independent photographer Leeroy Johnson posted a video of Adams making his remarks to X, formerly Twitter when New York City’s Democrat mayor did a public 180-degree turn on the city’s sanctuary status.
Wow.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams is calling for NYC’s sanctuary city law to be changed so that criminal illegal aliens can be deported.
Democrats don’t even want to live under their policies. pic.twitter.com/izwPI95NrY
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) February 27, 2024
Adams called for a modification to the “sanctuary city law” that would allow the government to deport illegal aliens if they commit a felony or violent crime.
“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,” Adams said at first, acknowledging the Democrats’ position toward integrating immigrants into the economy. But he clarified he has no tolerance for immigrants who commit serious crimes.
“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 said, to applause from the crowd.
BREAKING: A stunning turnaround from NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who is now calling for NYC’s sanctuary city law to be changed so that some illegal immigrants who commit felonies can be turned over to ICE for deportation. https://t.co/h0N7UqOnM7
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 27, 2024
The New York City mayor gave the audience a view into the irrationality of U.S. immigration policy when he explained the number of ways the law ties his hands from helping with immigration problems.
“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,” Adams said.
‘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,” the mayor added.
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