New York City’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams seems to be adopting a position similar to President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for the widespread deportation of undocumented migrants. Adams’ city has been heavily impacted by the migrant crisis under President Joe Biden’s administration, especially since Texas Governor Greg Abbott began sending migrants to New York City in August 2022.
When the first buses from Texas arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Adams personally greeted the newcomers. Yet, within less than a year, he issued a warning that the ongoing migrant situation could “destroy New York City.”
Adams, who has a background in law enforcement, recently expressed that migrants accused of crimes should not be entitled to due process under the U.S. Constitution. He also mentioned he was investigating whether he had the authority to modify sanctuary laws, potentially allowing the city to work more closely with federal agencies to detain “dangerous” immigrants, according to a report in The New York Times.
” In the last few weeks, he’s obviously sharpened his rhetoric, sort of moving closer toward the Trump rhetoric,” said George Arzt, a seasoned political and communications advisor, as reported by The Times. “He was like this on law-and-order rhetoric, and so now he’s sort of melded the law-and-order with migrants.”
Last week, Adams revealed that he planned to meet with Tom Homan, Trump’s key figure in the push for mass deportation of illegal migrants. “I want people to talk to each other,” Adams stated during a press briefing. “And I made it clear that I’m not going to be warring with this administration. I’m going to be working with this administration. President Trump is the president-elect, and whomever he chooses to run his agencies, I’m looking forward to sit down and see how we better New York.”
Despite his new rhetoric, Adams maintains that his position on migrants hasn’t shifted because of Trump. “People are saying, OK, after the president-elect is coming in, Eric is now saying different things,” Adams told WCBS on Sunday. “No, I was saying this prior to the election. I was saying those who are committing crimes in our city must be addressed.”
Some have speculated that Adams, who faced federal corruption charges in September, may be seeking to align himself with Trump in hopes of receiving a presidential pardon. “Some of the things he said about immigration would be music to the ears of the president-elect,” remarked former New York Governor David Paterson, as reported by The Times. “Given everything that is going on, it might not be the best political thing for him to do in the city, but it might be one of the best political things to do for himself.”
{Matzav.com}