The Legal Aid Society condemns the Adams Administration’s illegal order that will increase Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests at shelters, hospitals, and other City properties. Legal Aid demands the Mayor to rescind the order and reverse course. It also provide ICE and other federal law enforcement the green light to threaten and intimidate City workers and New Yorkers.

“This new directive is a clear end run around New York City’s sanctuary laws and will deter individuals and families from accessing shelter, medical care, and other life-saving services. It also undermines the foundational trust between City workers and the populations they serve, jeopardizing public health and safety,” reads a statement from Legal Aid.

“If ICE agents fail to produce a warrant signed by a judge, City employees should follow duly enacted laws and deny them entry. The City is not only failing non-citizen New Yorkers, but also forcing frontline staff in shelter, medical care, and other City properties to defer to any ICE enforcement action, whether compliant with City laws or not,” the statement continues. “This policy shift alarmingly aligns with recent federal immigration enforcement actions eliminating protections for sensitive locations such as hospitals, schools, and places of worship. Such measures erode the sanctity of these institutions and sow widespread fear within immigrant communities.”

“We call upon Mayor Eric Adams to immediately rescind this harmful policy,” the statement concludes. “It is imperative to reaffirm New York’s commitment as a sanctuary city to safeguard all residents, regardless of immigration status, and to ensure that access to critical services remains unbridled for those in need.”