NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The City Council asked Tuesday that the city Department of Investigation examine how the NYPD has worked with federal agencies during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
A letter with the request said in part that “New Yorkers must trust that their own city government will not participate in their civil rights being violated.”
In a post on X, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said that “with constitutional rights under attack from the Trump administration, our city agencies must be careful.”
The council speaker said she wants the Department of Investigation to examine reports that the NYPD has coordinated with ICE on civil matters, which would violate NYC's "sanctuary city" policies.
“Our laws must be followed, and city agencies must not naively help Trump’s administration skirt them,” Adams said.
Among the cases in question is that of Leqaa Kordia, a student who was arrested at a Columbia University protest last year. The charge was dismissed, and her arrest sealed, but the NYPD reportedly provided federal immigration authorities with an internal record on her before she was detained this past March for what the feds said was an expired visa.
"No part of that case was there any like criminal element," said City Council immigration chair Alexa Avilés. "And the fact that ICE had easily gotten her information—and had clearly pursued her—from NYPD, was truly alarming."
Avilés said she wonders if the NYPD unknowingly gives information to the feds, or if the feds mislead the NYPD.
The NYPD has sharply denied that it helps federal immigration authorities with anything but criminal cases.
City Hall released a statement criticizing the move by Adams, who is running for mayor and has no relation to Mayor Eric Adams.
In a statement, City Hall said: “Let’s be abundantly clear: the Adams administration follows local law and does not cooperate with ICE on civil deportation matters. Period. Full stop. At a time when many — especially in immigrant communities — are feeling heightened anxiety, it is despicable that Adrienne Adams would try to fan the flames of fear solely for cheap political points.”