Officials, Advocates Rally Behind City Sanctuary Laws Ahead of Mayor’s Testimony at House Hearing

NEW YORK CITY – Today, just before New York City Mayor Eric Adams gives testimony at a U.S. House hearing on sanctuary cities, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), elected officials, and immigrants’ rights advocates rallied at City Hall to champion the city’s well-established sanctuary policies and to demand Mayor Adams defend immigrant New Yorkers and stand up to President Trump’s cruel and destructive mass deportation agenda. Watch a recording of the press conference here. 

“Mayor Adams should prioritize protecting immigrant New Yorkers instead of pursuing a shameful, MAGA-stamped get-out-of-jail-free card at their expense,” said Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “New York’s decades-old sanctuary laws have made the city safer, supported our economy, strengthened our communities, and made it easier for people to access vital services. Today’s House hearing is Washington’s latest play to bully cities that protect immigrants. The Mayor should unambiguously defend our sanctuary laws and remember he serves all New Yorkers, not his own interests.”

Today’s action follows the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s recent request for the mayors of New York City, Boston, Denver, and Chicago to appear before them at a hearing, and to produce documents and communications related to their city’s respective sanctuary policies.

Since the 2024 election, Mayor Adams has increasingly aligned himself with the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda. In the past few months, the Mayor has said that migrants do not deserve due process rights, undermined well-established sanctuary law by pushing for more collusion between the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and opened Rikers Island to ICE agents. The Mayor even appeared on Fox and Friends with Border Czar Tom Homan, who threatened the Mayor on air if he breaks vow to help Trump’s deportation machine.

“Since Trump took office once again, my family has been terrified of being torn apart,” said Norma R., immigrant mother and member of Make the Road New York. “My young daughter is now in counseling trying to get help for her anxiety and my son constantly tries to think of different ways that he can help to keep our family protected. Today, Mayor Adams is testifying in Washington DC and we expect him to continue to sell out the lives of immigrant New Yorkers like me and my family to benefit his political agenda. But the truth is, public safety is created when people from all backgrounds can thrive, without intimidation by ICE and fears of being torn apart from their loved ones. We must uphold the protections that we already have in our city and expand on these by passing New York for All. With this statewide bill, my family and I would feel less anxious knowing that the local police cannot collaborate with ICE to fuel deportations in any part of the state. From NYC to Buffalo, all New Yorkers deserve to feel safe and we need leaders who will fight to protect us all.”

“Sanctuary laws don’t just reflect our values; they make our entire city safer and stronger,” said City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “They empower our immigrant communities to feel safe interacting with law enforcement agencies, accessing vital city services, and finding opportunities to work and start businesses. Defending our laws and democracy is about defending the very identity of New York City as a place of opportunity for all.”

“While Mayor Adams sells our city out for a get out of jail free card, we’re here to remind him and Congress that New York values, economy, and traditions mean we will never sell out our immigrant neighbors,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “Today’s hearing will paint immigration as crisis, but the reality is Trump’s mass deportation agenda–which threatens to rip families apart, terrorize communities, and deplete our labor force–will cause real chaos and crisis. Despite the lies and hysteria in Congress today, New York has, is, and always will be a safer because of our sanctuary city laws and richer because of immigrants.”

“Our Mayor continues to sell out immigrant New Yorkers, our legal rights, and public safety in order to save himself from legal trouble,” said Chair of the NYC Council Immigration Committee Alexa Avilés. “His participation in Trump’s hateful agenda is not only terrorizing immigrant families, we are at risk of economic devastation, as mass deportations could cost our city and state more than $22.6 billion in tax revenues. New Yorkers must fight together to maintain our legacy as a welcoming city and our constitutional protections as a locality that cannot be forced to participate in federal programs.”

“Mayor Eric Adams continues to disregard our city’s sanctuary laws and is evading accountability, facing no repercussions. He cannot be trusted to protect immigrant New Yorkers,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus, City Council District 39. “That’s why I’m proud to have authored Intro 214, the NYC TRUST Act in the City Council, which would establish legal mechanisms to hold the city accountable if it violates our sanctuary policies. This will help make our city a true sanctuary, not merely in name but in practice.”

“NYC has always been a city that welcomes everyone with open arms, regardless of immigration status,” said City Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25. “Our sanctuary laws have protected thousands of immigrant families across the city, making our communities-at-large safer and stronger. By threatening this status, our communities will live in fear, afraid to seek healthcare or report a crime. This is the type of chaos the Trump Administration is trying to instill, but we will continue to fight and protect all of our brilliant and beautiful immigrant New Yorkers.”

“Mayor Adams is not up for the task of protecting our laws and shielding New Yorkers from Trump’s racist mass deportation agenda,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “New York has well established sanctuary laws that have enriched our communities and local economies. We’ve built a better place for everyone who calls this city home because of them. We will not stand by while Adams scapegoats immigrants for his own personal interests. Immigrants are here to stay in our city and we will defend our sanctuary city laws.”

“New York City has well-established sanctuary city laws, and the Mayor’s recent attempt to bypass these laws puts every foreign-born New Yorker and their families at risk of harassment and detention,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson (District 35). “This great city is made great by every single New Yorker who calls this place home. It has always been a sanctuary of opportunity and inclusivity where everyone contributes to our shared prosperity. I stand with the New York Civil Liberties Union in our collective fight to support all immigrants and every New Yorker against the threats posed by the President’s administration that endanger the safety and fundamental rights of us all.”

“Immigrants are our neighbors and our coworkers, our friends and our family,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “We call on Mayor Adams to uphold New York City’s historic pro-immigrant values and defend our neighbors against President Trump’s cruel mass deportation agenda.”

“Instead of standing up to Donald Trump’s threats against New Yorkers, Eric Adams is going to D.C. today to once again sell out our immigrant communities for his personal gain,” said Murad Awawdeh, President & CEO, New York Immigration Coalition. “With Trump ramping up his plans for mass deportations, it is more important than ever that our elected officials in New York lead the way in protecting every person who calls New York home. Our long-standing sanctuary policies work – they keep families together, and build trust in public institutions like schools and hospitals, making us all safer. In this critical moment for our communities, we are calling on Mayor Adams to start fighting for the protections of the people he represents instead of his own. Anything less is a betrayal of New York City.”

“In true New Yorker spirit, we proudly join community members, advocates and our local leaders in supporting our families, friends and neighbors. We refuse to stand by while Mayor Adams makes a mockery of our city and tramples our deepest values,” said Yasmine Farhang, Director of Advocacy at the Immigrant Defense Project. “We fought for our decade-old sanctuary protections because we believe in creating trust in our communities and ensuring all New Yorkers have the opportunity to thrive. We continue today to fight against racial profiling, against the funneling of our neighbors from local agencies to ICE, and against abuses of power. Mayor Adams: hands off! You are not the voice of our city.”

“New York’s sanctuary laws exist because we all suffer when immigrant New Yorkers are forced into the shadows,” said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Immigration Policy Director at The Bronx Defenders. “Sanctuary laws protect due process and public safety. But without bright-line, enforceable rules, ICE will keep exploiting city agencies to target New Yorkers, undermining both in the process. At The Bronx Defenders, we’ve seen firsthand the harm when NYC colludes with ICE. We must defend our sanctuary laws and stop Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda from taking hold in New York.”

“Mayor Adams has repeatedly blamed new immigrants for why New Yorkers are struggling, sought to dismantle our city’s sanctuary policies, and even invited ICE into our city to detain our neighbors,” said Lilly Sandberg of Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ). “As Jews, we know how dangerous this kind of scapegoating and cozying up to authoritarian leaders is, and we urge Mayor Adams to reverse course immediately.”

“At Families for Freedom, we are deeply disappointed by our mayor’s recent actions that undermine the very principles of our sanctuary city,” said Janay (Jani Cauthen), Executive Director at Families for Freedom. “Migrants are not pawns in a political game; they are families seeking refuge and opportunity. We urge our leaders to prioritize compassion and justice over political gain, and to stand firmly for the rights and dignity of all individuals.”

New York’s sanctuary policies have been in place since the 1980s, across leadership of both parties. By ensuring immigrants feel safe accessing city services or reporting crimes, sanctuary policies have improved public safety, lowered crime rates, and made it easier for immigrants to integrate into New York’s communities. The policies have also paved the way to a stronger local economy: in 2021, immigrant New Yorkers paid $61 billion dollars in taxes and constituted $138 billion dollars in spending power.