A New York judge has temporarily blocked Mayor Eric Adams from allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to operate within the Rikers Island jail complex. The New York City Council lawsuit against the mayor’s recent executive order permitted federal immigration agents to take up office space in the facility—federal immigration agents, like ICE, who have rich histories of racism and abuse.
Rikers Island, one of the largest and most infamous jail complexes in the country, located on a difficult-to-access island in the East River. For years it has been controversial turf, inflaming debates over militarized immigration enforcement and racial profiling police practices. ICE agents were formerly able to operate on the Rikers facility, but their activity was largely prohibited by a major ban in 2014. That year, New York City passed sanctuary laws that limited the city’s cooperation with immigration enforcement.
On Monday, Judge Mary Rosado released that decision in writing. This order prevents the city from implementing the plan until the hearing scheduled for April 25. This decision is clearly intended to allow the court some time to assess the ramifications of the mayor’s executive order.
The NYC Council has now officially joined this lawsuit. They want to prevent Mayor Adams from reinstating ICE agents on Rikers Island. The mayor announced that his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro, would oversee all decisions regarding ICE’s return to the jail complex. In a previous statement, Mayor Adams emphasized that this arrangement was intended to “ensure there was never even the appearance of any conflict.”
She serves as the City Council’s designee on the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment. Julia Agos spoke in favor of the judge’s ruling.
“We appreciate Judge Rosado’s decision to prevent any negotiation or execution on an agreement between the administration and federal agencies until this Friday’s hearing to ensure communities are protected.” – Julia Agos
Agos reiterated the Council’s commitment to safeguarding the rights and safety of all New Yorkers against perceived threats posed by federal immigration agents under the Trump administration’s policies.
Our hearing down at the Federal Maritime Commission should be a pivotal one. It will determine whether Mayor Adams’ executive order continues in effect or is permanently blocked from enforcement. This new legal victory has big implications that extend far beyond Rikers Island. It casts a spotlight on the broader national conversations about the role of immigration enforcement in local governance.