In his first press conference after the presidential inauguration, Mayor Eric Adams was repeatedly asked about his administration’s stance on immigration, in the wake of Trump’s promise in his inaugural address to “begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.” New York City is home to some 500,000 undocumented migrants. Adams did little to explain what exactly the city’s policy is on the issue, or if the city government will push back against the Trump administration’s deportation plans at all.
Asked if he and the city government would cooperate with federal authorities like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Adams returned to the line he has proffered since Trump’s election last November. “We want our immigrants to know that this is a city of immigrants, this is a country of immigrants,” the mayor said. “It’s imperative that you go to school, use the hospital service, use the police service.” He then expressed frustration when pressed on specifics, saying the he does not intend to “keep having the same conversation over and over again” although this was actually only the first question of the briefing.
The Trump administration’s vision, as stated by the President himself and his “border czar” Tom Homan, does not reflect Adams’ “nation of immigrants” vision of the country, despite that narrative’s deep roots in American culture and history. Trump’s inaugural speech mentioned only “criminals” or “aliens,” never migrants or immigrants within our borders, and used that pejorative framing only to talk of deportations. Tom Homan’s record at ICE under the first Trump term is most known for separating parents from their children as a matter of policy, reportedly as a deterrent. At least 5,000 children were separated from their parents under Homan’s so-called “zero tolerance” policy, and over 1,000 have still not been reunited with them.
Mayor Eric Adams holds an in-person media availability. City Hall. Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
Asked if he would recommend that migrants leave shelters in order to avoid ICE raids – an occurrence which has already been observed and reported in the press – Adams encouraged sheltered migrants to “take the next step in the American Dream” by availing themselves of “legal services” provided by the city, stopping short of addressing the possibility of round-ups by federal authorities.
Throughout the post-election period, Adams has consistently emphasized the common ground that he and the Trump administration share on migrant policy, telling reporters after his meeting with Tom Homan last month that they have the “same goal” of stopping “dangerous individuals” from committing crimes. He repeated that sentiment today, stating that the NYPD will “continue to collaborate with ICE around criminality.” Homan’s definitions of crime and criminality, however, appear to differ when not speaking to Adams. “Look, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table,” Homan said in a Fox News interview in November. “It’s not OK to cross this border, it’s a crime. Every illegal alien that crossed that border committed a crime. And it’s not OK for you to be in this country illegally … so, if you’re in this country illegally, you got a problem.”
With the Trump administration finally in office, the press corps insisted on an answer: what would Adams do if ICE officers go after nonviolent, noncriminal migrants? The mayor dodged: “look at my old off topics [i.e. press conferences], and you’ll see my response.” La Voce has not found a single instance of Mayor Adams addressing this possibility in any press conference or interview since last November’s presidential election.
