Immigration and housing advocates are worried Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will raid or stake out New York City's prominent homeless shelters after President-elect Donald Trump assumed office in January. For that reason they are urging Mayor Eric Adams to close them before.
Trump has promised to carry out the largest mass deportation operation in American history as soon as he re-enters the White House. His primary targets will likely include high-profile cities that house a large number of immigrants, New York City among them.
Adams himself is seemingly not opposed to the idea of large-scale deportations despite the fact that New York is a sanctuary city and strictly limits local law enforcement from cooperating with immigration officials in their deportation efforts. In fact, the Democratic mayor, who is a former NYPD captain, has said the city "can be very helpful in how we address this issue in a very real way," hinting that he could assist the Trump administration's new measures, at least when it involves undocumented migrants with criminal history.
Nevertheless, local advocates are hoping the city will take necessary measures to protect undocumented migrants.
Those efforts could start in a sprawling 2,000-person tent camp at Floyd Bennett Field in southeastern Brooklyn, which is situated on federal park land leased by the city. Adams administration officials are considering shuttering the site, according to The New York Times. But no plans have been finalized.
These advocates worry that highly publicized sited— like the one in Floyd Bennett Field, or the more than 200 emergency migrant shelters across the city— might draw special attention to immigration officials.
"If we have any places that are all migrants, that is a bad thing," said Christine Quinn, president and CEO of shelter provider WIN. "Like shooting fish in a barrel."
The Adams administration has already closed down 11 migrant shelters over the past month and plans to shutter 10 more sited upstate by the end of this month as fewer migrants arrive and seek shelter in the City, according to Gothamist. It remains unclear if the Adams administration will close any additional sites before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
The concerns also come as Adams seemingly cozies up with the Trump administration and is set to meet with the incoming "border czar" Tom Homan.
"I plan on calling him either tonight or first thing in the morning. I certainly will meet with him. I'm looking for partnerships. I'm not looking for enemies," Homan said Tuesday on NewsNation's "CUOMO."
The city reportedly has some 60,000 undocumented migrants wanted for deportation, with more than 1,000 suspected of being gang members. As the incoming Trump administration advances its immigration crackdown, Adams is breaking ranks with other Democratic leaders in sanctuary cities.
"I would love to sit down with the border czar and hear his thoughts on how we're going to address those who are harming our citizens," Adams said Tuesday during a news conference.
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