The federal lawsuit is the latest in a series of suits brought by the Justice Department targeting state or city policies seen as interfering with immigration enforcement.
“New York City has released thousands of criminals on the streets to commit violent crimes against law-abiding citizens due to sanctuary city policies,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release. “If New York City won’t stand up for the safety of its citizens, we will.”
The lawsuit — which also names Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and numerous other city officials and departments — targets policies that include barring city law enforcement from honoring civil immigration detainers by holding people in custody past their release date.
Kayla Mamelak Altus, a spokesperson for Adams, said the mayor “supports the essence” of the city’s policies but has urged the City Council “to reexamine them to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer” when it comes to dealing with “violent criminals.” She added: “So far, the Council has refused.”
A representative for the City Council did not immediately return a request for comment.
