Overview
- The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on July 24 in the Eastern District of New York, naming Mayor Eric Adams, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Correction Commissioner Lynette Maginley-Liddie and other city officials as defendants.
- The complaint alleges that city statutes barring ICE from honoring detainers without an Article III warrant and limiting requests to individuals convicted of serious or violent crimes violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and impede federal immigration enforcement.
- Asks the court to declare New York City’s sanctuary ordinances invalid and to permanently block their implementation.
- Mayor Eric Adams said he will review the lawsuit and has urged the City Council to amend sanctuary rules to better address violent offenders.
- ICE Director Tom Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have pledged to intensify community arrests, arguing that jail restrictions force riskier street operations and endanger officers and the public.