Two leaders from the New York City Council are urging an investigation into potential violations of the city’s sanctuary laws by the NYPD, which are designed to prevent local authorities from participating in federal immigration enforcement activities.
In a letter sent on Monday, Speaker Adrienne Adams and Oversight and Investigations Committee Chair Gale Brewer requested that the Department of Investigation scrutinize several instances this year where the boundaries between civil immigration enforcement and criminal investigations appear to have been compromised.
The lawmakers expressed concern over reports indicating that the NYPD has provided information to federal agencies that may have subsequently been used in civil immigration proceedings, raising apprehensions regarding possible violations of New Yorkers’ constitutional rights.
They cited incidents in which individuals were detained or deported without due process, highlighting a case involving 19-year-old Merwil Gutiérrez Flores, who was arrested by the NYPD for gun possession. Although he was not prosecuted, he found himself in FBI and later ICE custody, leading to his swift deportation to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Another case referenced involved Leqaa Kordia, who was arrested outside Columbia University during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The NYPD shared Kordia’s sealed arrest record with Homeland Security Investigations after federal officials claimed to be investigating her for money laundering. However, Kordia was already in ICE custody at the time, and the NYPD’s documentation later became a crucial part of her deportation proceedings.
Mayor Eric Adams’s office has not yet commented on the letter, which arises amid ongoing concerns about the NYPD’s relationship with federal immigration enforcement. The NYPD has been known to collaborate with federal agencies on criminal matters but is legally barred from assisting in civil immigration enforcement as per several laws enacted by former Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The city council leaders’ letter underscores the context of heightened federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, which prioritized mass deportations and involved various federal agencies.
Adams and Brewer emphasized that the sanctuary city laws are rooted in a principle crucial for community safety: immigrant communities must feel safe cooperating with law enforcement for the benefit of all New Yorkers.
They asserted that recent events have raised serious doubts about public trust in local government, stressing that any potential violations of city laws by municipal agencies could undermine the rule of law and public safety.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has repeatedly defended the NYPD’s collaborations with federal agencies concerning criminal enforcement, categorically stating that the department does not engage in assisting with civil immigration enforcement.
At a recent city council hearing, when asked if she would consider revising the NYPD’s relationship with federal authorities due to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation agenda, Tisch answered with a resolute ‘no.’
This investigation follows a lawsuit filed by the City Council against the Adams administration in April, opposing a controversial executive order that would allow for the reopening of an ICE office on Rikers Island. A judge has currently issued a temporary block on the execution of that order.
The mayor’s legal representatives have described the lawsuit as a political maneuver aimed at undermining his administration, particularly from Speaker Adams, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor in the upcoming election due to term limits.
While the dynamic between local law enforcement and federal immigration policy continues to evolve, these recent queries and incidents have sparked significant debate regarding the NYPD’s role and responsibilities in upholding sanctuary laws designed to protect vulnerable communities in New York City.
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