In anticipation of President Trump’s guarantees to problem mass deportations instantly after taking workplace, the NYPD issued an inside memo reminding cops of current legal guidelines blocking them from lending a hand to federal immigration authorities.
Whereas the mayor has publicly declined to reply whether or not he’ll cooperate with federal immigration raids on New York, the NYPD memo is the newest in a flurry of behind-the-scenes exercise to remind metropolis employees of legal guidelines blocking cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The inner operations order, issued by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Saturday, reminded cops they’ll’t interact or help with immigration enforcement or permit NYPD sources for use for that objective, both.
“The fact that a person is present in the United States without lawful authorization is a civil matter, not a crime,” Tisch wrote.
The Trump administration introduced on Tuesday that brokers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Safety might make arrests at or close to “sensitive” places like church buildings and faculties.
That announcement and the slew of govt orders focused at immigration have sparked worry amongst immigrants and advocates. These included an govt order searching for to finish Constitutional proper to birthright citizenship.
NYPD
(Michael Ip for New York Every day Information)
The memo, going into element, mentioned that cops can’t contact the feds to inform them the place people are situated, can’t detain them and can’t use police division amenities to assist ICE.
Officers who encounter ICE conducting immigration raids should inform the Operations Division of the NYPD, who will then attain out to responsibility chiefs and the Authorized Bureau. The Operations Division was additionally instructed to observe for federal immigration enforcement within the metropolis.
Even when federal immigration officers have a warrant, cops can’t launch anybody from custody with out authorization from town legal professionals and the officers’ operations command.
The NYPD memo comes amid a quickly altering surroundings with Trump shifting shortly to ship on his marketing campaign promise to take away harmful immigrants from the nation and cease the circulate of migrants throughout the southern border.
Requested about his view Tuesday, Adams mentioned he has agreed with Trump to not publicly disparage the president.
“We’re not going to agree on everything, but those areas that we disagree, I’m going to personally share with [Trump], and he has given me an opportunity to communicate with him directly on issues we disagree, and I respect that,” Adams mentioned throughout his weekly press briefing.
The NYPD memo additionally comes as Trump has directed the Justice Division to take a look at any native efforts to dam immigration enforcement.
The Mayor’s Workplace of Immigrant Affairs additionally issued a memo within the lead-up to Trump’s presidency reminding all metropolis companies of sanctuary metropolis legal guidelines, Rebecca Engel, Director of Coverage and Legislative Affairs on the workplace mentioned at a Metropolis Council oversight listening to final week.
The Regulation Division additionally hosted a briefing earlier this month to provide common counsels a refresher on town’s legal guidelines forward of Trump’s anticipated immigration actions.
And New York Metropolis’s public college system hosted coaching classes on town’s legal guidelines this month for principals and directors, telling employees what to do if feds request entry to highschool grounds.
Initially Printed: January 22, 2025 at 11:33 AM EST
