New York City's status as a "sanctuary city" is at risk after the Trump administration filed a lawsuit challenging the policy. The lawsuit alleges that the city's policies hinder immigration law enforcement and contributed to the recent shooting of an immigration and border patrol agent.
In a news release, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies. If New York City won’t stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will."
The lawsuit claims that two people in the U.S. illegally "ambushed an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer while he sat in Fort Washington Park. They allegedly tried to rob the officer, shooting him in the face and the leg in the process."
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The suit claims one of the immigrants was arrested multiple times since entering the U.S. That person, the Trump administration said, was put on a detainer for him to be handed over to federal authorities, but New York ignored that order.
According to the New York Immigration Coalition, "New York’s sanctuary policies only bar local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainer requests, which seek to hold undocumented immigrants in custody for up to an additional 48 hours after they would normally be released." The group added, "Local law enforcement is permitted to honor detainer requests, including when ICE provides a judicial warrant."
Mayor Eric Adams responded via social media, stating, "The job of a mayor is to protect the safety of every single person in their city," adding that his administration would "review the lawsuit."
