NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams Set to Sue Over Executive Order Allowing ICE on Rikers Island

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is preparing for a potential legal challenge against Mayor Eric Adams and the Trump Administration after the City Council voted on Thursday, April 10th, to authorize her to take action regarding the city’s sanctuary laws. The resolution grants Speaker Adams the authority to sue the mayor and Trump over an executive order that allows federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to reestablish offices on Rikers Island.

Signed by First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro earlier this week, the executive order permits federal authorities to target violent criminal gangs within the city’s jail system. However, critics argue it violates New York City’s sanctuary laws, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. These laws, which were passed in 2014, were designed to prevent the city’s jails from assisting ICE in deportation efforts.

Speaker Adams strongly opposed the order, claiming it undermines the city’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities. “This is about the mayor fulfilling his end of the bargain to Trump, selling out New Yorkers in exchange for the dismissal of his federal corruption case,” she stated. Many City Council members share these concerns, viewing the executive order threatening the city’s sanctuary laws.

Mastro defended the executive order, emphasizing that it is focused exclusively on criminal investigations and excludes civil immigration enforcement. “It is only for criminal enforcement and expressly excludes civil matters,” Mastro said during a press conference.

Despite the mayor’s assurances, Speaker Adams and other critics remain wary, questioning whether the order could lead to broader collaboration with ICE. In response to the mayor’s recusal, which delegates authority to Mastro, Speaker Adams stated, “The executive order, make no mistake about it, looks like it was brought about because of the relationship the mayor has with the Trump administration.”

The City Council has not yet filed a lawsuit, but the resolution allows Speaker Adams to take legal action if necessary. Civil rights groups, including the Legal Aid Society, are also considering their own legal options.