Donald Trump's plan for deportations remains top of mind for many in New York City
NEW YORK -- President Donald Trump plans to make good on his promise to end illegal immigration and close the border with Mexico.
He has also promised a wave of deportations -- a move that is causing fear and anxiety in New York City.
NYC's role as a sanctuary city to be challenged
"We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to places from which they came," Trump said during his inauguration speech on Monday.
Trump's charge followed the NYPD reporting a spike in crimes committed by migrant gangs in 2024.
"That's a public safety issue. A nation with open borders is not a sovereign nation. Open borders we are against," Brenda Lee, of the Coalition for Better Communities, said back in November.
The president made it clear that deportations are high up on his agenda, and while New York City is in fact a sanctuary city that protects its thriving immigrant population, a policy that began under the de Blasio administration allows officials to cooperate with the feds on a limited basis to deport immigrants convicted of 170 crimes, including rape and murder.
Mayor Eric Adams and Trump agree on that, as the mayor made clear after meeting with the president's new border czar, Tom Homan, last month.
"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," Adams said at the time.
Republican Congressman Mike Lawler told CBS News New York the president "hit the ground running," and he was pleased to see Adams in attendance.
"I was heartened to see Mayor Adams here yesterday for the president's inauguration. We need to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to address the challenges facing the country, but especially when it comes to immigration," Lawler said in an interview the next morning.
Lawler said it's his understanding the administration plans to act "swiftly" on these measures.
"Cracking down on sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with ICE. The fact is, if you have people who are here illegally and committing acts of violence, there needs to be full cooperation," he explained. "So from our understanding, they're going to move pretty swiftly getting ICE in to areas, like New York, like Chicago, to really crack down on those that have outstanding warrants and orders of deportation and execute on them."
NYC immigration community on high alert
Trump's speech and the question of how much cooperation New York City will offer has legal experts and those who deal with the immigration community on high alert to protect the rights of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have come to the city over the past few years.
"New York does not sign on, has not signed on to the Trump agenda, and the New York Civil Liberties Union is pushing really hard for New York to fortify its defenses against the cruelty and pain and harm that the Trump regime is threatening," longtime NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said.
Christine Quinn, the head of WIN, the largest provider of services to homeless families, also weighed in, saying, "We urge our leaders at the city and state level to act proactively and expeditiously to protect New Yorkers."
Trump is also insistent on ending birthright citizenship -- the children of immigrants who become American citizens if they are born here. Lieberman said that would be unconstitutional -- it's a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment -- so the president might have a tough road to hoe in implementing that.
State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement New York will be ready to take on Trump.
"For over 156 years, the United States Constitution has clearly stated that anyone born on our nation's soil is a citizen of the United States. President Trump cannot ignore the 14th Amendment, or any part of our Constitution. This executive order is nothing but an attempt to sow division and fear, but we are prepared to fight back with the full force of the law to uphold the integrity of our Constitution. As attorney general, I will always protect the legal rights of immigrants and their families and communities. We are reviewing our legal options," James said.
Asylum seekers fearful of what could come next
Asylum seekers are so worried about what the future holds for them that, in order to speak to CBS News New York, they asked that their faces be hidden.
"I'm honestly scared because I left my country because of the warfare, because of the violence. The warfare killed my son," one said through a translator.
"We're here looking for a better future. We fled the violence and all that to come here, where there are many good things, and for us and our kids to feel protected," another said.
Advocates say there are many law-abiding migrants in New York City and recommend they speak with an immigration attorney.
"If ICE shows up at your door you should ask to see if they have a judicial warrant once signed by a judge," said Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition.
