Mayor Eric Adams called to testify before Congress on New York's sanctuary city status
NEW YORK -- One week into his term, President Trump is sticking to his campaign promise to crack down on immigration.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it arrested nearly 1,200 people on Monday alone, a significant increase from previous days and a stark jump from the Biden administration, which last year averaged 312 per day.
Mayor Eric Adams has now been called to the nation's capitol to talk about New York's sanctuary city status.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer wants Adams and the mayors of three other cities to testify before Congress, claiming they are refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
The committee says it's investigating sanctuary jurisdictions, their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws.
Comer sent a letter to Adams, along with the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver. The first page of the letter, which was shared on social media, says sanctuary cities' policies "hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe."
In response, the mayor's office said, "Mayor Adams has made clear that New York City is committed to working with our federal partners to fix our broken immigration system and focus on the smaller number of people who are entering our localities and committing violent crimes. We will review the letter and respond accordingly."
- Read more: Mayor Eric Adams wants to "bring down anxiety" in NYC's immigrant community amid deportation fears
Adams met with Trump border czar Tom Homan in December and later spoke to the media.
"We're going to protect the rights of immigrants in the city that are hard-working, giving back to the city in a real way. We're not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and long-standing New Yorkers."
The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11. Adams has not yet made clear whether or not he will be there.
