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Mayor Adams said Tuesday that he is open to the possibility of deporting migrants charged, not just convicted, with crimes, saying people who entered the country illegally aren’t entitled to the same rights as citizens.
Asked during a Tuesday press briefing about how his own legal situation affects his view on migrants, Adams —facing felony corruption and bribery charges in federal court — said the rights he has are not the same as someone who “snuck” into the country.
“I’m an American,” Adams said. “Americans have certain rights. The Constitution is for Americans, and I’m not a person that snuck into this country… What rights I have, the person that decides to shoot the police officer, they should not have those same rights. Okay? That’s my position.”
Regardless of immigration status, many of the rights in the Constitution, including due process and legal counsel, apply to everyone in the U.S. In deportation proceedings, those rights are more limited; there is no presumption of innocence, for example.
The debate around rights and deportation has recently intensified with the election of Donald Trump, who made curbing immigration a central theme of his campaign and has said he plans to undertake mass deportations.
Under current New York City’s sanctuary policies, local authorities are largely prevented from honoring ICE detainer requests, with some exemptions including for those convicted of violent or serious crimes.
Adams, who has frequently said he wants to see changes to the city’s sanctuary city policies, told reporters he is open to working with Trump’s new border czar to set up a plan to deport those charged with crimes like shootings or rape.
“In the era of cancel culture, no one is afraid to be honest about the truth,” Adams said. “Well, cancel me, because I’m going to protect the people of this city. And if you come into this country, in this city, and think you’re going to harm innocent New Yorkers and innocent migrants and asylum seekers, this is not the mayor you want to be in the city with.”
The mayor’s comments drew backlash from Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of New York Immigration Coalition, who accused Adams of attacking the constitutional rights of immigrants and sowing misinformation about due process in a statement.
“He is ripping a page from Trump’s playbook, stoking fear and spreading disinformation,” Awawdeh said. “We should be able to expect that the Mayor of New York City has a basic understanding of the Constitutional rights of the people he serves.”
“Simply for his own self interest, you would think Mayor Adams would be the biggest proponent of due process,” Awawdeh continued. “He should apologize for his patently inaccurate statement, and make clear exactly how he will ensure every New Yorker maintains their Constitutional rights.”
Adams has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also slammed the mayor’s comments, saying they “denigrated immigrants and non-citizens as unworthy of basic rights.”
“With the looming danger of the Trump presidency, and the mayor choosing to mimic rather than condemn it, we have to stand together to defend both the New Yorkers who have little and the ones who have less,” Williams said.
Adams first said he wanted to roll back sanctuary status in February, but in the wake of the presidential election, he has repeated many of the same points, although he has stated he does not support mass deportations.
The mayor has said he wants to return to standards in place under former Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Ed Koch, when the city could cooperate with federal authorities, including by detaining immigrants for deportation.
“We should be able to address and coordinate with any entity when you’re dealing with those who commit crimes in our city,” Adams said Tuesday, without specifying whether that would apply to all crimes or only certain types. “I’m looking forward to sitting down with the border czar and hearing his thoughts on that.”
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