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De Blasio & Cuomo Move To Keep Federal Agents Out Of NYC
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 22, 2020
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Noah Berger/AP/Shutterstock
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Jul 22, 2020
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With President Donald Trump threatening to send heavily armed federal agents to aggressively police more American cities, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have mounted competing strategies for keeping them off the streets of New York City.
On Wednesday, the mayor published an open letter, addressed to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Department of Homeland Secretary Chad Wolf, describing the presence of militarized federal law enforcement in Portland, Oregon as "blatantly unconstitutional." He vowed to sue the administration if federal agents were sent to police NYC, arguing that their deployment was politically motivated and threatened the rights of New Yorkers.
That threat was quickly undermined by Cuomo, who described de Blasio's strategy as unlikely to work, noting, "This is not a fast situation." Instead, Cuomo seemed intent on placating the president, mentioning in consecutive TV appearances that the two had a "good conversation" and that Trump had assured him the state would receive a warning before the arrival of federal agents.
The governor also said that he broadly agreed with Trump's assessment that New York appeared to be a "city in decline."
"The president's concerns about New York City are well-founded," Cuomo said on MSNBC. "There's been an increase in crime. I get the concern, but I don't believe federal troops are the answer."
Cuomo said the state would step in if needed, and urged officials — without naming de Blasio specifically — to "clean it up" when asked about graffiti.
On Wednesday morning, NYPD officers evicted protesters and homeless New Yorkers from the encampment outside City Hall and began the process of cleaning spray paint from local buildings and subway stations.
At the same time, de Blasio has downplayed concerns that New York City is on the brink; though shootings are up significantly in recent months, crime is down from this time last year.
"To the degree that the President is concerned about fighting crime, New York City remains the safest big city in America, due in large part to the work of the New York City Police Department and our partners in our communities," the mayor wrote. "We are fully capable of protecting our City, which includes protecting federal properties in New York City."
President Trump is reportedly contemplating a show of force in several cities beyond Portland in the coming weeks. Multiple sources told Politico that the Department of Homeland Security is considering deploying mobile field units to protect federal property in cities experiencing unrest, likely composed of border patrol officers, ICE agents, and personnel from the Federal Protective Service.
In a statement to Gothamist, NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman called the actions of federal agents in Portland "a clear and horrific display of authoritarianism."
"This type of federal intervention in New York would put protesters at further risk of gross abuse," she said.
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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