Court prevents scheme allowing immigration agents in New York City detention center

NEW YORK – A judge prevented New York City’s mayor from allowing federal immigration authorities to reopen an office at the city’s primary jail. This action was in part due to concerns that the mayor had invited them back as a segment of an agreement with the Trump administration to conclude his corruption case.

The ruling by New York Judge Mary Rosado on Friday represents a setback for Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who had issued an executive order enabling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies to use office space at the Rikers Island jail complex. City legislators initiated legal action in April, alleging that Adams engaged in a “corrupt quid pro quo bargain” with the Trump administration to have the U.S. Justice Department drop criminal charges against him.

Rosado had temporarily halted the executive order in April. When granting a preliminary injunction, she noted that city council members had “demonstrated a likelihood of success in indicating, at the very least, the appearance of a quid pro quo where Mayor Adams publicly consented to bring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) back to Rikers Island in exchange for the dismissal of his criminal charges.”

Rosado cited a number of factors, including U.S. border czar Tom Homan’s televised comments in February that if Adams did not come through, “I’ll be in his office, up his butt saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’ ”

Adams has repeatedly denied making a deal with the administration over the criminal case. He has said he deputized his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro, to handle decision-making on the return of ICE to Rikers Island to make sure there was no appearance of any conflict of interest.

Rosado said that Mastro reports to Adams and “cannot be considered impartial and free from Mayor Adams’ conflicts.”

Mastro said in a prepared statement Friday the administration was confident they will prevail in the case.

“Let’s be crystal clear: This executive order is about the criminal prosecution of violent transnational gangs committing crimes in our city. Our administration has never, and will never, do anything to jeopardize the safety of law-abiding immigrants, and this executive order ensures their safety as well,” Mastro said.

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is running in the Democratic primary for mayor, called the decision a victory for public safety.

“New Yorkers are counting on our city to protect their civil rights, and yet, Mayor Adams has attempted to betray this obligation by handing power over our city to Trump’s ICE because he is compromised,” she said in a prepared statement.