Council Member Robert Holden has praised Mayor Eric Adams for reopening the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office at the Rikers Island jail complex.
Holden, who represents the District 30 neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Elmhurst, and Rego Park, has consistently pushed for this action to be taken.
“This is a significant first step, but more must be done to show that Mayor Adams truly prioritizes public safety,” Holden stated.
“I first pitched the idea of reopening the ICE office in December, and I’m glad to see action finally being taken. Thank you to Tom Homan for his leadership on this issue. While this is progress, we must go further to ensure New York City is no longer a safe haven for criminals.”
Mayor Adams’s announcement on Thursday, Feb. 13, confirmed that the city will use executive powers to permit ICE agents to operate on the notorious Rikers Island jail grounds once again, following a ban that has been in place since 2015.
This move comes after a meeting between Adams and former ICE Director Tom Homan, who has been advocating for greater federal oversight of the city’s immigration policies.
“We are now working on implementing an executive order that will reestablish the ability for ICE agents to operate on Rikers Island — as was the case for 20 years,” Adams said in a statement.
The Mayor emphasized that the executive order would ensure that ICE agents’ activities are limited to investigations focusing on criminal and gang-related activity, a point he reiterated during an appearance on Fox and Friends.
The Mayor also expressed frustration with what he described as the “far-left” members of the city government who have opposed his efforts to collaborate with federal immigration authorities.
“Let’s be clear – I’m not standing in the way. I’m collaborating against so many others who don’t want to collaborate,” Adams asserted.
The executive order marks a sharp reversal from the 2014 sanctuary law that led to the ICE office’s closure in 2015. While the move is expected to ignite political backlash, particularly from members of the City Council, Adams remains resolute in his stance, claiming that the city’s cooperation with federal agencies on immigration matters is essential for public safety.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, along with Council Members Alexa Avilés and Sandy Nurse, have expressed concern over the executive order.
They issued a joint statement on Thursday, “The mayor’s announcement of the intention to issue an executive order that allows the Trump administration access to Rikers is concerning, but we must see the language of any purported executive order to evaluate its legality.”
The debate over reopening the ICE office comes amid a larger political clash between Mayor Adams and state and federal authorities over sanctuary policies.
The Trump administration has made clear its focus on New York City, with recent legal moves involving the Justice Department’s decision to drop corruption charges against Adams and a lawsuit against state officials over sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The growing tensions have led to a series of resignations within the Justice Department, further escalating scrutiny of Mayor Adams.
Meanwhile, FEMA’s recent decision to claw back over $80 million intended to assist with housing migrants in the city has sparked outrage, with city financial watchdog Brad Lander decrying the move as a “highway robbery” of funds allocated by Congress.
