Internal Memos Instruct New York City Government Employees to Block ICE Raids

Behind-the-Scenes Shift in How City Handles Immigration Enforcement

As President Donald Trump repealed years of precedent strongly discouraging immigration raids in schools, houses of worship, hospitals, and other “sensitive locations,” Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday declined to explain how the city will respond if federal agents start showing up at city facilities.

But behind the scenes, it’s a different story, with local government agency heads in the last few days distributing advisories instructing staff to block access to any non-local law enforcement, even if presented with a judicial warrant. City employees were ordered instead to contact city lawyers who must authorize access.

DCAS Advisory

Staff at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), for example, got a universal “all staff reminder” Friday requiring them to contact the agency’s general counsel if any non-federal law enforcement agent — including from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the FBI — show up demanding access to facilities managed by DCAS.

The advisory from DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina and General Counsel J. Carolina Chavez says that “DCAS employees cannot grant access without first getting authorization from the General Counsel’s Office,” then advises staff to get the agent’s name and badge number, the phone number of a supervisor, and an explanation of the purpose of the visit.

Exceptional Circumstances

DCAS staff must obtain a copy of the warrant or take a photo of it and provide that to general counsel, then “politely direct the officer to wait outside” while they await further guidance from agency lawyers. The DCAS advisory implies that administratively issued warrants will not be acceptable.

The only exception to the new DCAS directive relates to “exigent circumstances” in which non-local law enforcement say access to a city facility is required due to “hot pursuit of a suspect or imminent risk of death or physical harm.” In that case, DCAS staff is instructed to “not attempt to forcefully deny entry” but to notify the general counsel’s office “immediately.”

‘We’re Going to Follow the Law’

Beneath the bureaucratic language, the local government officials’ new memoranda speak to a sudden, lurching shift in immigration enforcement, departing from more than a decade of precedent.

Longstanding Guidance

A 2011 Obama-era memorandum barred most immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations” like schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. Former President Biden updated the guidelines in 2021, adding other locations like playgrounds, recreation centers, homeless shelters, funerals, gravesites, and rallies, among others.

What the Mayor Has to Say

Despite a flurry of warnings from city agencies in recent weeks about the prospect of ICE raids, Adams continued to avoid answering specific questions during his once-a-week availability to reporters Tuesday about how the city will handle Trump’s promised mass-deportation campaign.

“We’re telling our team to follow the law. The law is clear. We’re going to follow the law,” Adams said.

The mayor has steadfastly withheld any criticism of Trump, who has implied he might offer a pardon to the mayor related to the federal bribery and campaign finance fraud charges he currently faces.

Conclusion

The internal memos instructing city employees to block ICE raids signal a significant shift in how the New York City government will respond to immigration enforcement. As the city’s mayor and agencies take a more restrictive approach, it remains to be seen how this will impact the lives of thousands of immigrants living in New York City.

FAQs

Q: What is the new policy on ICE raids?
A: The city’s internal memos instruct employees to block access to any non-local law enforcement, even if presented with a judicial warrant.

Q: What is the exception to the new policy?
A: In exceptional circumstances, such as hot pursuit of a suspect or imminent risk of death or physical harm, city staff should not attempt to forcefully deny entry but notify the general counsel’s office immediately.

Q: What does the mayor say about the new policy?
A: Mayor Eric Adams has declined to comment on the new policy, stating that the city will follow the law.

Q: What is the history of immigration enforcement in New York City?
A: The city has a long history of discouraging immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals, and houses of worship.