All New York City agencies, including public schools and the shelter system, can let federal authorities searching for undocumented immigrants onto their property without warrants if city personnel “reasonably feel threatened” by their presence, according to a new policy by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the New York Daily News reported.
The new policy was contained in a Jan. 13 memo disseminated by Adams’ office to the general counsels of all municipal agencies, the paper said.
Under New York’s sanctuary city status and policy, city workers are not supposed to give agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies access to city property like shelters, schools, jails and hospitals unless they’re armed with judicial warrants signed by a federal judge authorizing a specific individual’s arrest.
But the memo, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily News, says city workers can forgo the warrant requirement if the federal agents threaten their safety or the safety of others.
“If, at any time, you reasonably feel threatened or fear for your safety or the safety of others around you, you should give the officer the information they have asked for [if available to you] or let them enter the site,” the memo addressed to all city agencies says.
The memo doesn’t define what a reasonable fear would be in such a setting, the paper said.
The memo was sent to several nonprofit organizations that run shelters, Hell Gate reported.
Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams, told the Daily News late Thursday the mayor’s new policy is meant to protect city workers.
“We are responsible for safeguarding the well-being of our city staff, which is why we have directed city employees not to put themselves in harm’s way during federal immigration enforcement interactions,” she told the paper. “Employees are advised to contact their legal counsel in such situations and to avoid verbal or physical altercations, as this could compromise their safety and hinder critical city services.”
The mayor's directive goes against what many city educators desire. In January, the Panel for Educational Policy, a voting body overseeing the city's Department of Education, passed with unanimous consent the Resolution Affirming the Status of New York City Public Schools as a Welcoming Citywide District to All Students, which reaffirms that children will be protected as federal law enforcement authorities will be barred from school grounds.
