New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday reiterated the need for better safety measures to protect New Yorkers from criminals who are undocumented and said he reached out to Tom Homan, the president-elect's new border czar, to figure out the new administration's plan on deporting asylum seekers.
Adams said he’s ready to work with the incoming administration on new immigration policy during his regular weekly press conference.
"I want people to talk to each other," Adam said. "And I made it clear that I'm not going to be warring with this administration. I'm going to be working with this administration. President Trump is the president elect and whomever he chooses to run his agencies, I'm looking forward to sit down and see how we better New York."
Over 58,000 migrants in the city have been convicted of a crime, or are facing criminal charges, according to a report from the New York Post. Adams said he is currently interested in deporting immigrants who commit crime, not people who are part of American society.
“In the era of cancel culture, no one's afraid to be honest about the truth. Well, cancel me because I'm going to protect the people of the city,” said Adams.
When asked whether the mayor defines a criminal as a person who is charged with a crime– like himself– the mayor said his rights as an American citizen was different than someone who is undocumented.
"I'm an American. Americans have certain rights. You know, the Constitution is for Americans. And I'm not a person that snuck into this country. My ancestors have been here for a long time, for a long time," Adams said. "So what rights I have, the person that decides to shoot a police officer, they should not have those same rights."
The mayor repeated that he wants a different job-permitting system for immigrants.
“They want to participate in the American dream. And we need to find a way for them to do that. But we cannot ignore the fact that the American people have communicated to us loudly and clearly. We have a broken system,” Adams said.
However, the mayor also said current asylum seekers in the city should not be afraid to use available city services, including hospitals and schools.
"Our city services are open to all people who are in this city. That is what we do. That is what the law requires us to do under the current law. And I believe we need to modify our existing law as I stated. But they should not be afraid in this city," he said.
Adams also stated he was looking forward to working with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, a new agency.
“Look at what they are saying. And then look at what I have been saying for years, for years. I came in office talking about government inefficiency,” said Adams.
The new department co-run by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is meant to reduce wasteful spending and unnecessary regulations.
“It's time to fix government. And I look forward to Elon Musk, who can take us to Mars,” said Adams, who said Musk personified change in the country. "I'm happy that Elon is going to be part of those who are moving that change forward."
The mayor also said he would not veto an approved City Council bill that would pass the broker fee onto the landlord versus the tenant. In addition, if Governor Kathy Hochul decides to ban cell phones in public schools, the mayor said he would follow the law.
“If she puts in place a ban that we are required to follow, we're going to do that,” said Adams.
Regarding the recent news that President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, the mayor pulled out a copy of the New York Times and read a line that said “President Biden and President-elect Donald J. Trump now agree on one thing: The Biden Justice Department has been politicized.”
“Does that sound familiar?” said Adams, who has stated in the past that he has been targeted and politicized unfairly by the Department of Justice. "Rest my case."
