Trump’s Mass Deportations: Sanctuary Cities Adjust Their Stance

What to Know

• President Trump plans to issue 10 executive orders related to the U.S-Mexico border, fulfilling a campaign promise to tackle immigration and carry out his mass deportation plans.
• New York City’s sanctuary policies impose limitations on how city officials and local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
• Mayor Eric Adams, who has recently shifted his position on immigration, has said he would comply with local laws limiting his ability to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

President Trump plans to issue 10 executive orders related to the U.S-Mexico border, fulfilling a campaign promise to tackle immigration and carry out his mass deportation plans. According to NBC News, Trump is expected to sign various executive orders on Monday, including declaring a national emergency at the border to allow the military to be deployed to the border.

In New York City, officials are preparing for the possibility of massive deportations but have warned that their hands are tied due to the city’s sanctuary status. Last week, at a press conference, Mayor Eric Adams avoided answering a question regarding the possibility of mass deportations in the city, saying “I’m not going to keep doing the same question over and over again about the cooperation of city agencies.”

Adams said he supports the rollback of sanctuary city policies during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration. The mayor also met with Donald Trump’s border czar in December “to figure out how to go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city.”

Adams’ recent shift in tone over New York City’s immigration laws follows the migrant influx that overwhelmed the city’s shelter system and prompted the mayor to suspend NYC’s right to shelter rule. New York City’s sanctuary policies impose limitations on how city officials and local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

In 2014, then-mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation to reduce NYC’s cooperation with ICE. The efforts also included closing ICE’s offices at Rikers Island and all city facilities. “Mass deportation has not only pulled apart thousands of New York City families, it has also undermined public safety in our communities and imposed disproportionate penalties on immigrant parents and spouses who these families depend on for emotional and financial support,” de Blasio said at the time.

In calls for change to the sanctuary city laws, Adams has called the laws passed during de Blasio’s administration a “big mistake.” On Monday, Adams canceled plans to attend local Martin Luther King Jr Day celebrations to travel to Washington for Trump’s inauguration. In preparation for Trump’s return to the White House, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has also updated its website with several booklets with guidance for immigrant New Yorkers.

Some local officials have softened on how closely they want their cities to be identified with the “sanctuary city” label and have pledged to work with federal immigration authorities, NBC News reports. But others have doubled down on being sanctuary cities and reject any notion that they’d cooperate with a Trump administration.

“The mixed approaches of officials in some of the largest and heavily Democratic cities in the U.S. underscore the country’s shifting politics on immigration. While leaders in these cities largely — and often loudly — rejected Trump’s immigration policies when he was last in the White House, some are now willing to work more closely with his administration on a top priority or tamp down their rhetoric,” according to the NBC News report.

Conclusion

The Trump administration’s plans to issue executive orders on the U.S-Mexico border have led to a shift in the stance of some sanctuary cities, including New York City. While some officials are willing to work more closely with the federal government, others remain committed to their sanctuary city status and reject cooperation with the Trump administration. As the country’s politics on immigration continue to shift, it remains to be seen how this will impact the lives of immigrant communities across the country.

FAQs

• What are the plans of the Trump administration regarding immigration?
• What is the current stance of New York City on immigration?
• How do sanctuary cities differ from other cities?
• What is the impact of the Trump administration’s plans on immigrant communities?