Trump border czar Tom Homan on Wednesday threatened to double the variety of federal immigration brokers in New York if Gov. Hochul doesn’t cooperate amid rising anger over the administration’s crackdowns.
Assemblymember and NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was amongst others who used Homan’s go to to Albany Wednesday to voice their dismay, significantly over the latest detention of Columbia College activist Mahmoud Khalil.
“How many New Yorkers will you detain without charge?” Mamdani yelled as he tried to interrupt by state cops. “Do you believe in the First Amendment?”
Honan additionally praised Mayor Adams as a associate and mentioned he plans to fulfill with him later this week.
Homan mentioned the concept that sanctuary legal guidelines — which restrict in sure circumstances native officers cooperation with federal immigration brokers — assist public security as a result of they permit immigrants to work with police to report crimes a “bunch of crap.”
“You’re not gonna stop us, New York State,” Homan mentioned at he state Capitol in Albany. “You gotta change the sanctuary status. If you don’t, get out of the way.”
“Sanctuary cities will get exactly what they don’t want: more agents in the community and more collateral arrest, because you have forced us in the community because you failed to let us into the jail,” he mentioned. “What a shame.”
Final month, Mayor Adams promised to challenge an order permitting federal immigration brokers into Rikers Island — a major change to the town’s insurance policies. That order hasn’t but materialized, and the mayor and Homan have declined to offer updates on the timing.
Ed Reed/Workplace of the Mayor of New York by way of AP
This picture offered by Workplace of the Mayor of New York, exhibits President Donald Trump’s border czar Thomas Homan, left, and New York Mayor Adams, proper, and others, assembly in New York, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Ed Reed/Workplace of the Mayor of New York by way of AP)
Homan additionally slammed the governor’s makes an attempt to position the mayor below tighter controls on the mayor. Amid the gorgeous resignations of 4 deputy mayors and concern over the Division of Justice’s efforts to dismiss Adams’ corruption case, Hochul introduced collection of “guardrails” on Adams.
“The governor wants to run down there and fire him because he’s working with Tom Homan,” he mentioned, pointing to himself.
The border czar, who’s an upstate New York native, mentioned Adams hadn’t been doing sufficient to crack down on immigration in his years of public service — however that modified once they sat down for his or her first assembly final November. Homan mentioned Adams made it clear he needed to assist the Trump administration perform their immigration agenda gadgets.
The mayor has come below fireplace for the Division of Justice’s efforts to dismiss his corruption indictment for political causes. The division is pushing to drop the case with the probably of brining it again sooner or later — leaving many, together with former U.S. Lawyer Danielle Sassoon and a court-appointed unbiased lawyer, to imagine that the Trump administration was a “sword of Damocles” over Adams’ head.
The mayor, who has happy not responsible to the costs towards him, has mentioned there was no quid professional quo.
DEA New York / X
Federal brokers from the DEA, ATF and Homeland Safety conduct immigration enforcement raids in New York Metropolis on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. (DEA New York / X)
“As far as all of this, ‘Well, he’s making a deal because of his criminal issues,’ I’ve been talking to him since November,” Homan mentioned. “Had nothing to do with that, far as I’m concerned.”
In response to the transfer to dismiss Adams’ expenses, the governor proposed a set of laws that may cut back his powers.
“This is an attack on immigration enforcement, that’s plain in what it is,” Homan mentioned.
Hochul pushed again towards the criticism.
“Governor Hochul has been clear with New Yorkers: she supports secure borders and deporting violent criminals, but won’t let New York help the Trump Administration tear babies away from their parents,” Avi Small, a spokesperson for the governor.
“This isn’t the first time Trump Administration officials have lied about our policies — and it probably won’t be the last — but Governor Hochul is staying focused on keeping New Yorkers safe.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul addresses the media on the DOCS strike and the corrections officers being charged within the dying of Robert Brooks on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams / New York Day by day Information)
Homan additionally addressed the problem of Khalil, the Columbia grad scholar focused by ICE and arrested for his pro-Palestinian advocacy, stating that “free speech has limitations.”
Initially Revealed: March 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM EDT