A Manhattan judge issued a temporary restraining order on Monday that prohibits New York City Mayor Eric Adams from allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to operate at the Rikers Island jail complex.
The order, written by Judge Mary Rosado of the New York supreme court, will remain in place until at least Friday morning when the New York City Council and the Adams administration will argue in court. The council sued the mayor last week.
“City Hall and all other New York City government officials, officers, personnel, and agencies are prohibited from taking any steps toward negotiating, signing, or implementing any Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government regarding federal law enforcement presence on Department of Correction property,” Rosado wrote, granting the council’s request.
The council’s lawsuit accuses Adams of making a “corrupt bargain,” in which he allegedly cooperated with federal immigration enforcement in exchange for getting his federal corruption case dropped. Adams has maintained his innocence in the recently dismissed case and has denied the existence of any “quid pro quo” agreement.
The council also takes issue with the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, claiming it is illegal. By that same logic, the governing body argues allowing ICE to reopen its office on Rikers Island is also unlawful.
ICE had a presence on the prison island until New York City barred the agency from operating there in 2014. Under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city passed sanctuary laws that limited its cooperation with the federal government on immigration matters.
The council argues that renewing ICE’s presence on Rikers Island will accelerate the Trump administration’s mass deportation push at the prison. Before ICE left the island over a decade ago, many immigrants, including those without convictions or others who committed minors crimes, were deported when the agency obtained custody of them.
Earlier this month, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro issued an executive order that granted ICE’s return to Rikers Island.
Adams decided against signing the executive order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest after the dismissal of his federal case, Politico reported. The council claims the order is “null and void” because Adams never formally gave Mastro the authority to issue such a directive.
Rather than “recuse” himself from signing the order, Adams said he was simply delegating duties to his second-in-command.
The Adams administration has insisted that ICE agents will only assist in criminal investigations that involve immigration violations at Rikers, not any civil matters.
The council is notably led by Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is running in the Democratic mayoral primary this year. Meanwhile, the incumbent is seeking reelection as an independent.
Speaking with Fox News host and President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump over the weekend, Mayor Adams defended ICE and its goal to “get bad, dangerous people off our streets.” He also said those who resist the Trump administration are “foolish.”
“When you don’t respect the office, you’re sending the wrong message. I respect the office,” Adams added. “There’s a president called President Trump. I am going to work with that president to produce for the people of our city because I respect the office.”