New York, NY—Today, the Supreme Court of the State of New York issued a preliminary injunction barring Mayor Eric Adams from opening an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office at Rikers.
Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition:
“Justice prevailed in New York City today as Mayor Adams was blocked from launching one more attack on our immigrant neighbors. The State Supreme Court’s ruling will effectively prevent thousands of New Yorkers a year from being deported simply because they were accused – not even convicted – of a crime. New York City should not be in the business of carrying out Donald Trump’s mass disappearance agenda, which is in fact illegal under our local laws. We commend the City Council for taking bold action against this reckless move by Mayor Adams, and we will keep fighting for a future where every single New Yorker – no matter when they arrived here – can live their lives free of fear.”
Background
In April, NYC Mayor Eric Adams' administration announced the opening of an ICE office on Rikers Island. ICE has not operated at Rikers Island since 2014, when Local Law 58 was enacted. New York City laws - created by the City Council over a decade ago - are clear: our city cannot and must not be in the business of deportation, and instead our city agencies must build trust with immigrants so they can serve all New Yorkers. Rikers Island has a long and documented history of violence, abuse, and mismanagement.