Overview

• The New York City Council filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Mayor Eric Adams, contesting the authorization of ICE operations on Rikers Island for the first time in over a decade.
• The lawsuit accuses Mayor Adams of striking a corrupt deal with the Trump administration to have federal corruption charges against him dropped in exchange for policy concessions.
• First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro signed the executive order enabling ICE's presence, but the lawsuit argues Adams did not properly delegate the authority to do so, rendering the order invalid.
• The Adams administration defends the move, asserting that ICE will not conduct civil immigration enforcement and that the decision complies with New York City's sanctuary laws.
• The legal challenge intensifies debates over immigration enforcement, the delegation of executive power, and the potential erosion of sanctuary city protections.