Democratic mayors of “sanctuary cities” testify before House committee

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The embattled mayor of New York City defended the city’s approach to immigration in his opening remarks, coupling the posture with his own commitment to public safety, saying “as mayor of New York City and a former police officer for 22 years, keeping New Yorkers safe is my top priority.”

Adams cited declining crime rates in New York City and said he was appearing on Wednesday to testify on how the city can continue to reduce crime “even as a sanctuary city.”

“To be clear, the sanctuary city classification does not mean our city will ever be a safe haven for violent criminals,” Adams said. “It also does not give New York City the authority to violate federal immigration laws. To the country, New York City will always comply with city, state and federal laws as it does now,”

Adams said law-abiding immigrants in New York have an “important role,” contributing spending power to the city’s economy, among other things. He said his role as mayor includes managing the population within his city, which includes creating an atmosphere that allows every resident — “documented or not” — to access vital services. 

“I cannot have a city where parents are afraid to send their children to school, or where children are sleeping on the streets, creating the potential for child exploitation and sex trafficking,” Adams said. “If an undocumented person refuses to seek medical care until they have a medical emergency, our city’s health care system will be strained, and if an undocumented person witnesses a crime, but is afraid to call 911 for fear of being turned over to federal authorities, criminals will roam free.”

However, Adams said he is “committed to working with federal officials to go after violent gangs and those who harm residents of our city.”