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Judge temporarily blocks Mayor Adams' administration from allowing ICE onto Rikers Island
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Apr 21, 2025
Modified Apr 21, 2025
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José A. Alvarado Jr. for Gothamist
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Apr 21, 2025
Modified Apr 21, 2025
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A state Supreme Court judge has temporarily blocked Mayor Eric Adams' administration from allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate an office on Rikers Island.
Judge Mary V. Rosado issued the temporary restraining order on Monday at the request of the City Council, which is suing Mayor Adams over an administration order allowing ICE on Rikers Island.
“City Hall and all other New York City government officials, officers, personnel and agencies are prohibited from taking any steps towards negotiating, signing or implementing any memoranda of understanding with the federal government regarding federal law enforcement presence on Department of Correction property,” Rosado wrote.
The order states it will remain in place until the conclusion of a Friday morning hearing. The order may be extended, modified or vacated at that time, the judge wrote.
Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for the mayor, said the administration is grateful that the judge agreed to delay the hearing until April 25.
“As we committed to the court last week, we are not expecting an MOU [prior to the hearing,” Mamelak said in a statement, referring to a memoranda of understanding with the federal government.
The City Council lawsuit accuses Adams of entering into a “corrupt bargain” with the Trump administration to get the mayor’s federal corruption charges dropped — a claim Adams has denied.
Julia Agos, a spokesperson for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, said in a statement the council appreciates the judge’s temporary restraining order.
“Allowing ICE to operate an office on Rikers Island and carry out Trump’s destabilizing and extremist mass deportation agenda would make everyone in our city less safe," Agos said in the statement.
She added: "We look forward to the hearing and will continue outlining why this executive order is unlawful and bad for public safety in our city.”
The Adams administration has maintained that the decision to allow ICE on Rikers will not run afoul of the city’s sanctuary laws, which largely prohibit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
A 2014 law specifically bars ICE from Rikers Island, but it includes a provision that allows a mayor, by executive order, to authorize immigration authorities to maintain an office on Rikers Island “for purposes unrelated to the enforcement of civil immigration laws.”
Under an executive order signed earlier this month by Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, ICE agents would only be permitted on the premises of Rikers Island for criminal investigations, not for civil immigration enforcement.
Mamelak said Adams “delegated” the decision to Mastro to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, after Trump’s Department of Justice ordered Adams’ charges dropped.
The article was updated with additional comment.
Tagged
immigration
new york city
Rikers Island
Race And Justice Unit
Politics
Arya Sundaram
Arya is a reporter covering race and justice. Got a tip? Email: [email protected] or reach Arya on Signal at 512-650-8767.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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