New York City Mayor Eric Adams is seeking to amend the city’s sanctuary laws to exclude illegal migrants who have committed violent crimes.
Adams has mentioned his desire to tighten the city’s regulations on illegal migrants multiple times this week, with his latest at a Tuesday press conference.
“I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city,” Adams said on Tuesday.
NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS DOUBLES DOWN ON CALL FOR CHANGES TO CITY’S ‘SANCTUARY’ STATUS AMID MIGRANTS CRISIS
New York City Mayor Eric Adams gives a press conference addressing the migrant crisis crippling the city’s resources. (New York City Hall)
He added, “You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules.”
This echoes the New York City mayor’s previous remarks made during a Q&A session at an event on Monday.
“The overwhelming amount of migrants that are here, they want to work. I still don’t understand why the federal government’s not allowing them to work,” Adams said Monday. “They need to have the right to work like all of us that have come to this country had the ability to do so.”
MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS NEW YORK CITY HAS ‘RUN OUT OF ROOM’ FOR MIGRANTS: ‘IT’S NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER’
Migrants gather outside the Roosevelt Hotel, where dozens of migrants have camped out as they try to secure temporary housing in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
“But those small numbers that are committing crimes, we need to modify the sanctuary city law that if you commit a felony, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] and have you deported.”
He added, “It is a right to live in this city, and you should not be committing crimes in our city. Right now, we don’t have the authority to do so.”
Adams commended his administration on Monday for doing an excellent job during a challenging time, but he stated his hands are tied by federal and local law.
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Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference at City Hall in New York City. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
The mayor spoke about some migrants participating in robberies and using mopeds to commit snatch-and-grab stick-ups.
Adams has said before that migrants committing crimes should be handed over to ICE and deported.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.