New York City voters will have no say on whether a slate of laws protecting illegal immigrant criminals should remain on the books, all but ensuring that the Big Apple's controversial sanctuary city laws will remain in place. your place
The New York City Charter Review Commission has been published a report this week, revealing which referendums will be on the November ballot for city voters. However, despite a campaign push from the city council's moderate bloc and support from Mayor Eric Adams, the commission chose not to include a referendum on repealing laws that severely limit the authorities' ability federal immigration officials to arrest criminal illegal immigrants. (RELATED 'Sanctuary' County repeatedly ignored arrests of Latino street gang member convicted of involuntary manslaughter, ICE says)
“The Commission has heard considerable testimony asking the Commission to propose an amendment to change the laws of so-called 'sanctuary cities,' a term often used to refer to policies that respect the sharing of information and the cooperation between the City Council and the federal authorities”. said the commission's report. “Given the repeated executive and legislative actions in this area, the judicial construction of the relevant state law and the continuous and fluid challenges posed by the influx of newcomers to the city, the Commission does not believe an election question on this important area. is appropriate at this time.”
The commission's decision was not warmly welcomed by moderate members of the New York City Council, who held out hope that a voter referendum would finally end the city's laws protecting illegal immigrants who are criminals .
NEW YORK – MAY 11: Special agents working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) escort members of a Mexican gang to court following their arrests on May 11, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
“As far as I can tell right now, the referendum is dead,” Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It's disappointing but not surprising that the charter committee won't allow people to have their say on such an important issue.”
Paladino is a member of the New York City Council's Common Sense Caucus, a bipartisan group of nine councilors pushing moderate policies. After a spate of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants in the city, these moderate lawmakers publicly pushed for change.
The Common Sense Caucus introduced legislation last month that, if passed, would repeal laws that prohibit New York City law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The proposed legislation would also repeal a law that prevents city officials from cooperating with ICE agents to enforce federal immigration laws and prohibits the use of city resources to assist deportation officers .
The bill specifically targets sanctuary laws passed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who signed a bill into law. in 2014 this greatly limits the New York Police Department from working with ICE agents and promulgated guidance in 2018 which doubled the policy.
In announcing the anti-sanctuary city proposal, members of the Common Sense Caucus said the changes were needed because “we have enough criminals in this city,” adding that illegal immigrants who commit crimes should be “deported without hesitation”.
Adams earlier this month gave his support behind the campaign to reform these sanctuary laws, giving the effort a big boost. The Democratic mayor at the time said the de Blasio administration “made a big mistake.”
Adam's show of support for reform seemed genuine, given that an ICE spokesman in may confirmed that the mayor's office and federal immigration authorities had met at the negotiating table on how both sides could work around the city's strict sanctuary laws.
However, a bill seeking to roll back the Big Apple's sanctuary laws was never expected to fare well in a city council dominated by liberal Democrats, even if it touted support from the mayor and other Democratic leaders . Anti-sanctuary city advocates pinned their hopes on a newly created commission two months ago by the mayor's office
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 11: New York City Mayor Eric Adams arrives for a press conference at City Hall, in front of a painting of Alexander Hamilton, on June 11 of 2024, in New York City. A grand jury appears to be reviewing evidence from the federal corruption investigation into Mayor Eric Adams' 2021 campaign fundraising. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)
The Charter Review Commission looked at pressing issues facing the city, listened to the public and ultimately decided which referendums would be put directly to voters in the upcoming November election. The Common Sense Caucus had lobbied the commission to give New York City voters a voice on whether to keep the sanctuary laws in place.
The commission, however, ultimately decided not to give voters a choice.
“The fact is that our city's sanctuary city status has become deeply unpopular, even among Democratic voters, and would almost certainly be defeated by voters if allowed a vote,” Paladino told the DCNF . “But once again, the party that tells us about 'democracy' is not really interested in practicing it.”
“The fact is that the Democratic Party is completely dedicated to open borders and all the chaos that goes with it, and they will never allow any measure to allow immigration enforcement, no matter how bad things are or what they really want voters. Make no mistake: If they thought the voters of New York would uphold the law, the referendum would be on the ballot in a big way.” (RELATED: Sanctuary cities crack down on host programs after rolling out red carpet for illegal immigrants)
Paladino wasn't the only member of the Common Sense Caucus to blast the commission's decision.
Council member Robert Holden, a Democrat and co-chair of the caucus, said the commission missed a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to correct the “failures” of the city's sanctuary laws, according to a statement provided to the DCNF. . Holden also seemed to suggest that the commission was never interested in giving voters a choice on the matter.
“At a time when our borders are porous and terrorists are on the loose, not including this on the ballot is a colossal failure. This was nothing more than a dog and pony show,” the Democrat said, adding that his office is investigating the matter through a records request to the Commission for all written comments and testimony on the proposed referendum.
The commission's decision follows an incredibly difficult time for a city facing an ongoing immigration crisis.
More than 208,000 migrants have descended on New York City since the crisis began, fueling an “explosion” in the host population and spending on New York taxpayers, the commission said. own report recognizes The the city awaits to hand out more than $12 billion to manage the crisis through 2025.
The migrant crisis in New York has received increased scrutiny following several high-profile crimes committed by illegal migrants, such as the arrest of Bernardo Raul Castro Mata for allegedly shooting to two NYPD officers during a foot chase or the alleged violation of a 13-year-old girl at knifepoint by another illegal migrant.
The city has also received migrant transportation from Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, an initiative his office has promised. to continue until the White House adequately addresses the border crisis. Adams' attempts to move many migrants elsewhere in the state last year were met with disgust by local leaders who did not want them in their communities.
However, there is still hope with at least some supporters of the anti-sanctuary measure. The fight will continue to repeal the law.
“It doesn't look like the Sanctuary City repeal will be on the ballot this year,” GOP Councilor David Carr told the DCNF. “That's not to say it won't ever happen, but the Charter Review Commission is clearly missing an opportunity to restore public safety by allowing local enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
“This is disappointing, but my colleagues and I will continue to fight to repeal these absurd and dangerous laws,” Carr said.
Adams' office did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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