New York City Mayor Eric Adams calls for changes to NYC sanctuary policy

CNN —

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called for drastic changes to the city’s sanctuary policies, marking the first time he publicly endorses a shift that could put undocumented immigrants who are accused of a crime in the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in New York.

“I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city,” Adams told reporters during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday. “You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules.”

Adams’ comments mark a shift in policy that originated during the era of Mayor Ed Koch in the late 1980s and has evolved over years spanning five mayoral administrations.

“I want to go back to the standards of the previous mayors who, I believe, subscribed to my belief that people who are suspected of committing serious crimes in this city should be held accountable,” Adams said.

Adams’ comments follow a series of high-profile incidents involving recently arrived migrants in the city who have been accused of violent crimes, including a recent shooting of a tourist during a robbery inside a Times Square clothing store.

The definition of sanctuary city or state can vary somewhat across jurisdictions. The term is broadly applied to jurisdictions that have policies in place designed to limit cooperation with or involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions. How such policies are enforced can vary.

When Koch took up the policy in 1989 – the first time the city had done so – he enacted an executive order barring agencies and officials from sharing information about immigrants unless it involved a criminal matter