On February 7, 2025, New York Mayor Eric Adams reportedly gathered top city officials and instructed them not to criticize Donald Trump or interfere with immigration enforcement.
The meeting was reportedly held after several city employees were unsure what they should do in the event U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrive at city buildings. In the first month of his second term, Donald Trump signed several executive orders amping up ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) activity, leading to raids in cities nationwide. According to THE CITY, the first week of ICE raids in New York has led to at least one hundred arrests. When asked for clearer guidance on how to interact with ICE agents who may appear at city buildings like schools and churches, multiple people told THE CITY they were instructed to “keep their heads down and refrain from criticizing President Donald Trump — and trust that [Adams] will make sure the city doesn’t get federal grants pulled.”
Adams, currently running for re-election, was criticized harshly by his competitors, who feel he is trying to appease Donald Trump.
“Today Eric Adams instructed New York City employees from top to bottom to aid and abet his efforts to win a pardon from Donald Trump,” New York Comptroller Brad Lander said. “This morning in this very building, he reportedly gathered together his senior officials, commissioners, deputy mayors, to instruct them not to criticize Donald Trump, even though Trump is making efforts to cut off the funding that the agencies those commissioners supervise rely on every single day.”
In September, Adams was charged with bribery, campaign finance, and conspiracy offenses after being accused of accepting gifts and cash from Turkish nationals. Immediately thereafter, Adams denied all accusations levied against and pleaded not guilty to all charges. On Monday, February 10, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove reportedly requested federal prosecutors drop corruption charges against Adams.
“Eric Adams has narrowed the focus of city government to a singular goal: keeping himself out of prison,” said Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani. “He appears willing to sacrifice anyone to achieve it.”
