How New York City Authorities Intend to Respond to Immigration Raids: City Employees Receive Instructions
'22.01.2025'
ForumDaily New York
US President Donald Trump has lifted a long-standing ban on mass immigration raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The City looked into how New York authorities would react if agents began showing up at city facilities.
Local government leaders have been issuing recommendations in recent days. They instruct staff to block access to any non-local law enforcement, even if they have a court order. Instead, city employees should contact city attorneys who can authorize immigration agents to enter the facility.
Recommendations on the ground
For example, employees of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) received a universal “all-employee reminder” on January 17. It instructs them to contact the agency’s general counsel if any non-federal law enforcement officer requests access to DCAS-managed facilities. The instruction includes employees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the FBI.
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DCAS staff cannot grant access without prior approval from the Office of General Counsel. Staff are advised to obtain the agent's name, badge number, supervisor's phone number, and an explanation of the purpose of the visit.
DCAS officers should obtain a copy of the warrant or take a photo of it and provide it to the General Counsel, then politely ask the officer to wait outside while they await further instructions. DCAS's recommendation is that administratively issued warrants will not be accepted.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services oversees dozens of city-owned and leased buildings and is responsible for maintaining courthouses in five counties. Under state law, courts already require non-local law enforcement to produce a warrant to gain entry to courthouses for immigration enforcement.
The only exception to the new DCAS directive is in the event of an emergency during pursuit of a suspect or an imminent risk of death or physical harm. In this case, DCAS officers are instructed not to attempt to forcibly deny entry but to immediately notify the Office of the General Counsel.
The city’s Department of Education sent out a similar directive earlier this month. It requires educators to first consult with senior counsel, even if ICE agents present a court order. Even in emergency circumstances, principals should still contact an Education Department attorney, the NYPD, and on-site school safety agents.
“Non-local law enforcement officers may not enter Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Human Resources Administration (HRA) facilities, including those operated by DHS or HRA, without a warrant signed by a judge, except in an emergency,” said City Department of Human Services Commissioner Molly Park.
"We will follow the law"
A 2011 Obama-era memo banned most immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations” — schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. President Joe Biden updated the guidelines in 46. He added other locations — playgrounds, recreation centers, homeless shelters, funerals, cemeteries, rallies, and more.
Trump rescinded the memo in one of his first executive orders as president.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams continued to avoid answering specific questions, giving no clear answer during his weekly meeting with reporters on January 21 about how the city would handle Trump’s promised mass deportation campaign.
"We tell our team to follow the law. The law is clear. We will follow the law," Adams said.
The mayor has steadfastly refrained from any criticism of Trump. The president has hinted that he might offer the mayor a pardon in connection with his federal charges of bribery and campaign-finance fraud.
City of Refuge
New York has a number of laws designed to protect immigrants from certain types of law enforcement.
Typically, when politicians, advocates, and critics use the term “sanctuary city,” they are referring to local government policies that limit the sharing of information about undocumented immigrants with federal immigration authorities. Sanctuary city policies are designed to shield these people from unfair or arbitrary law enforcement actions, such as arrest, detention, or deportation.
However, after Trump's election, the mayor expressed doubts about the laws under consideration.
In December, Adams floated the idea of finding ways to cooperate with federal law enforcement when it comes to illegal immigrants accused of violent crimes.