A slew of elected officers and advocacy teams rallied in Decrease Manhattan on Sunday towards Mayor Eric Adams and an obvious Metropolis Corridor directive allowing ICE brokers to enter public faculties and hospitals in pursuit of undocumented immigrants.
Picture by Dean Moses
A slew of elected officers and advocacy teams rallied in Decrease Manhattan on Sunday towards Mayor Eric Adams and an obvious Metropolis Corridor directive allowing ICE brokers to enter public faculties and hospitals in pursuit of undocumented immigrants.
Senators, meeting members, and Metropolis Council members joined the Working Households Occasion and New York Immigration Coalition Motion exterior of the Tweed Courthouse, situated at 52 Chambers St., within the shadow of Metropolis Corridor, on Feb. 9 to denounce what they described as a betrayal of the Massive Apple’s beliefs.
The protest occurred after reviews surfaced final week of a Jan. 13 Adams administration memo directing staff at metropolis faculties, hospitals and shelters to permit federal brokers entry to those areas, a directive that alarmed immigrant advocates and people probably at-risk of deportation.
Historically, these websites have been protected by New York’s sanctuary metropolis legal guidelines, one thing which advocates accused Mayor Adams of making an attempt to undermine. The mayor has repeatedly mentioned that whereas he desires to expel immigrants who “commit” violent offenses, he’ll uphold town’s sanctuary legal guidelines, designed to guard those that usually are not convicted of a criminal offense.
Senators, meeting members, and Metropolis Council members joined the likes of the New York Working Households Occasion and New York Immigration Coalition Motion exterior of the Tweed courthouse, situated at 52 Chambers Road, within the shadow of Metropolis Corridor, to denounce what they cite as a betrayal of the Massive Apple’s beliefs. Picture by Dean Moses 
“ICE out”indicators learn.Picture by Dean Moses
Nonetheless, the criticisms got here exhausting and quick on Sunday, with some advocates accusing Adams of cozying as much as the Trump White Home for his personal private acquire his personal authorized bother.
“Eric Adams sent a guidance to city workers, encouraging them to give away the power that the law has granted them. He has told city workers that if they feel intimidated by an ice officer, they should open the doors of our schools, of our hospitals,” Co-Director of the New York Working Households Occasion Ana María Archila mentioned. “The mayor has betrayed immigrant families. The mayor has betrayed all New Yorkers.”
The attendees included two candidates difficult Adams on this June’s mayoral major: Queens Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani and Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie. Additionally talking out was Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who went so far as to alleged that the mayor had been “compromised,” and that he must “shut up” about immigration points.
“You only need one of your five senses to see that this mayor is compromised in his decision-making. We also know now, and I’ve said this before, that we have an assistant to Donald Trump, not a mayor of New York City, and that’s the problem,” Williams mentioned. “He’s either been quiet or worse, making it harder for the rest of us to do the job that he is supposed to be doing. Please, at least stay quiet, shut up!”
“You only need one of your five senses to see that this mayor is compromised in his decision making. We also know now, and I’ve said this before, that we have an assistant to Donald Trump, not a mayor of New York City, and that’s the problem,” Williams mentioned.Picture by Dean Moses 
“No ICE in schools”Picture by Dean Moses
Moms and dads hand-in-hand with youngsters and brandishing scenes additionally railed towards the Metropolis Corridor ICE directive, as did medical doctors like Laura Boylan, a doctor working at Bellevue Hospital. She shared her fears that the memo won’t solely put each employees and sufferers in danger however may also embolden ICE to carry out intimidation ways as a way to acquire entry to the amenities.
“Health care heroes are now expected to allow indiscriminate hospital access if we feel bullied, and we are being bullied — we are being pre-bullied. We have to fight that back, and Adams cannot be facilitating the musk Trump agenda here in New York,” Boylan mentioned.
Adams admin responds
Regardless of the fury unleashed Sunday, Metropolis Corridor spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus rebutted the criticisms, saying they had been rooted in misinformation.
“Let’s be very clear: anyone perpetuating the claim that New York City is instructing city employees to simply open doors for federal law enforcement, including ICE, is spreading misinformation that only fuels anxiety within immigrant communities and our city’s workforce,” Mamelak Altus mentioned in a press release.
The spokesperson defined that the Jan. 13 memo “outlines a series of steps for city workers on how to respond to non-local law enforcement attempting to enter city property,” resembling “asking for an agent’s credentials, asking for a warrant, and contacting the agency’s general counsel.” Mamelak Altus additional said that metropolis businesses had gamed out a lot of situations in planning acceptable responses, resembling if regulation enforcement had been on the lookout for a wished, violent prison.
“This is a rapidly evolving situation, and, as a result, we are in the process of finalizing further guidance for city workers to follow if they encounter federal law enforcement attempting to enter a building,” she added. “The safety of our employees is equally paramount as the safety of those in our care, which is precisely why we want to make it clear that city employees should not put themselves or those in our care in harm’s way by interfering with law enforcement if they persist.”
With reporting by Ethan Stark-Miller
It wasn’t simply advocacy teams and politicians who rallied in anger, nevertheless. Moms and dads hand-in-hand with youngsters and brandishing scenes additionally charged towards Adams,Picture by Dean Moses 
Laura Boylan, a doctor working at Bellevue Hospital joined the rally sharing her fears that the memo won’t solely put each employees and sufferers in danger, it should additionally embolden ICE to carry out intimidation ways as a way to acquire entry to the amenities.Picture by Dean Moses 
Picture by Dean Moses
