Speaker Adams Condemns Trump Administration Deportation and Mayor's ICE Policy
Speaker Adams addresses the deportation of Bronx teenager Maruel Gutierrez by the Trump administration. She criticizes Mayor Eric Adams for his silence on the matter and warns against allowing ICE operations on Rikers Island.
I also want to address the disturbing reports of the Trump administration essentially kidnapping a Bronx teenager, Maruel Gutierrez, and sending him to El Salvador, to which he has no connection, even after acknowledging he was not the person they were looking for.
His father is now left concerned about his son, who he and his lawyers have indicated has no criminal history and no gang affiliations or ties.
And as a mother and grandmother, I can only imagine the fear and anger his family is experiencing at this grave injustice.
This isn't yet another example of the Trump administration's extreme agenda that disregards the U.S.
Constitution's due process.
The mayor claims that he supports due process and that his record on this is clear, but he hasn't said anything about this, and sadly, none of us should be surprised.
His behavior this week as a subsidiary of the Trump administration showed his willingness to spread misinformation that even contradicts the Supreme Court multiple times.
His actions this week seem to demonstrate that he really is fulfilling his bargain with Donald Trump.
But even more, their press conference undermined their claim of the necessity to have an office for ICE because they can clearly collaborate on criminal enforcement without it.
The only logical conclusion is that the plan is to violate the law by enacting civil immigration enforcement if given the keys to Rikers.
The mayor has placed his own personal interests ahead of the people of our city.
The same due process that he says he supports applies to most people on Rikers Island.
Allowing ICE on Rikers would undermine safety in our city, it would lead to more of the same constitutional violations that we're already seeing from the Trump administration against New Yorkers and people across our city and nation.
And when New Yorkers are afraid of cooperating with our city's own police and discouraged from reporting crime or seeking help, it makes everyone in our city less safe.
The council will continue to stand firm to protect the rights and safety of all New Yorkers against the Trump administration, even if the mayor will not.