NYC officials give workers leeway to allow federal immigration agents to enter city property
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The Adams administration is worried New York City workers may be caught in the crossfire of the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, leading to a new directive on how city workers should deal with ICE agents.
New guidance, which applies to all city-owned buildings, details what city employees should do if ICE agents come to make an arrest and if they feel their safety is in jeopardy.
The memo issued to city agencies, including private and city-run hospitals, and the shelter system, states that if any time they feel threatened for their safety or others, they should give the officer information they have asked for and allow them to enter the site, allowing federal authorities to search for undocumented immigrants.
Another memo obtained by Eyewitness News shows similar guidance at private hospitals like NYU Langone. It says employees should contact the securities department but also says, "it is illegal to intentionally protect a person who is in the United States unlawfully from detention. You should not try to actively help a person avoid being found by ICE."
And while the policy applies to all city buildings, United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew says he was told this guidance does not apply to schools, and that school staff have been trained on steps to take.
"I have spoken to the chancellor and the existing DOE policies remain in effect. There have been no substantial instances of ICE agents attempting to enter our schools, but our school staff have been trained to know what to do. We are committed to keeping our students safe," Mulgrew said in a statement
Prior to the new directive, instruction was for city employees to request a warrant signed by a judge while calling for lawyers and the NYPD to deal with the matter.
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But the shift comes as the Trump administration remains committed to seeing mass deportation raids in the city and across the country, now threatening to arrest anyone who interferes with federal immigration operations.
Mayor Adams' Office sent a statement that reads in part, "we are responsible for safeguarding the well-being of our city staff, which is why we have directed city employees to not put themselves in harm's way during federal immigration enforcement interactions."
But critics say this new guidance not only skirts the sanctuary city laws, but only adds to the confusion and fear that the immigrant community is already facing.
The Legal Aid Society is asking Mayor Adams to rescind the new guidance.
"It certainly breeches the trust in the sanctuary city laws and what it means to be a sanctuary city," said Kathryn Kliff of the Legal Aid Society.
Some members of the City Council say they will be looking at legal options to reverse the memo.
Under the city's standing sanctuary policy, city workers aren't to cooperate and give immigration authorities access to city properties from our hospitals to schools unless armed with judicial warrants.
This appears to be changing with increasing threats from the Trump administration to arrest anyone who stands in the way.
"Governor Phil Murphy and the rest of the people that want to game this, it's not a joke. This is not a joke. This is serious business and they need to stop or we're going to prosecute them to the Department of Justice," said Border Czar Tom Homan.
Homan says since Trump took office, across the country nearly 12,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested, 100 of those in last week's raids in New York City.
Immigration advocates are saying that the city is not doing enough to protect immigrant communities.
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