How is NYC prepping for stepped-up deportations under Trump?

Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, New York City officials have hosted staff training sessions on the city’s sanctuary laws and sent legal guidance to city agencies urging their compliance with those rules, which limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, Adams administration officials told a City Council hearing on Thursday.

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs will also hold an additional 240 “know-your-rights” sessions for immigrants at shelters, schools and houses of worship through June, administration officials told an oversight hearing on protection for immigrant communities.

“While we cannot control or improperly impede the actions of the federal government, we can and will continue to do everything we can to educate and inform our residents about their rights,” Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro told the hearing.

The assurances come weeks after Mayor Eric Adams met with Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan and said he would pursue an executive order to roll back some of the city’s sanctuary protections. Adams said following the Dec. 12 meeting that he and Homan “share the same desire” to “go after” undocumented immigrants who commit repeated violent acts.

Castro said that as the mayor has outlined his public safety concerns, Adams has also directed city staff to follow the current sanctuary laws. He referenced a Dec. 30 email to city agency leaders that reiterated the long-standing protections, including an admonition against using city resources to assist federal immigration enforcement officers, with rare exceptions.

In the email, a copy of which was obtained by Gothamist, the mayor’s Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack attached a legal memo that stated any agency that hasn’t created a policy about how to respond to requests from immigration officials “needs to do so immediately.”

“This is a reminder to staff that we must all abide by the city’s sanctuary laws and relevant executive orders,” the email said.

Trump, who is set to take office on Monday, has promised “mass deportation,” prompting concerns among immigrants without legal status and their advocates, including those in the City Council.

The city is home to some 412,000 immigrants without legal immigration status as of 2022, according to an immigrant affairs report from 2023.

More than 200 immigrant advocates, including city councilmembers, rallied on the steps of City Hall ahead of the hearing, condemning Adams’ calls to loosen the city’s sanctuary laws.

“He’s in bed with the enemy,” Councilmember Shaun Abreu said. “ What we are doing here today is sending a message to the mayor that you must do everything to not collaborate with ICE.”

Local corrections and law enforcement officers are largely banned from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, except in cases where individuals have been convicted of one of about 170 major and violent crimes.

However, emails revealed during a City Council hearing two years ago showed that city correction officers went above and beyond to coordinate with ICE agents between 2015 and 2019, prior to Adams' term. Agents scheduled release times to facilitate ICE pickups, and preemptively scheduled pickups for ineligible immigrants in their custody — in apparent violation of the city’s sanctuary laws.

“ What continues to be disturbing is we have proof of this problem,” said Councilmember Alexa Avilés, who chairs the immigration committee. “So what I need to understand… is what are the guardrails that we are additionally putting into place?”

Lorena Lucero, chief policy adviser for immigrant affairs, said that beyond the trainings and guidance provided to other agencies, she was "not at liberty" to discuss further efforts.

Education officials are also getting the word out about sanctuary laws that apply to the city’s public schools. The Department of Education reminded principals in early December that local law prohibits immigration officers from entering schools without warrants. The agency has also hosted know-your-rights sessions for immigrant families, and “know their rights” immigration sessions for school administrators and staff.

Castro said he's met with the public schools chancellor to discuss how to support children who are left "unattended" after their parents are deported.

The Law Department also briefed the general counsels of over 70 agencies about the sanctuary city laws, to ensure compliance with the rules, officials said.

Ultimately, however, Castro said no laws prevent ICE agents from confronting undocumented immigrants outside “sensitive locations,” like schools or hospitals.

At the hearing, councilmembers presented two resolutions and encouraged state lawmakers to pass bills on immigrant advocates' wish list for this legislative session. The New York for All Act (Assembly Bill A5686, Senate Bill S987) would prohibit local law enforcement across the state from questioning people about their immigration status.

The Access to Representation Act (Assembly Bill A270, Senate Bill S141) would establish a right to have a lawyer in immigration proceedings, and help fund pro bono immigration lawyers.