New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration entered an executive order this week following through on a promise previously made to allow federal immigration officials to establish an office on Rikers Island.
"Today, I have entered an executive order to re-establish a federal law enforcement office space at Rikers Island solely for criminal investigations, consistent with New York City law, after Mayor Adams delegated all powers and responsibilities related to this topic to me,” First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro said in a statement. “This directive is driven by one priority and one priority alone: to keep all New Yorkers safe.”
Mastro said he made the decision after independently reviewing the "facts and law" and speaking with federal law enforcement officials from DHS, DEA, and FBI, and Department of Corrections officials, all of whom expressed an interest in being able to develop criminal cases and coordinate investigations of transnational gangs that threaten the community.
"Again, this executive order is expressly limited to establishing office space and coordinating with federal law enforcement on criminal investigations, not civil matters," he added. "The city had a similar arrangement with federal authorities as recently as a decade ago, but this time, the focus will be exclusively on criminal investigations. Re-establishing such office space on Rikers Island for federal agencies, such as the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, will allow our correctional intelligence bureau to better coordinate on criminal investigations — in particular, those focused on violent transnational criminal gangs — and make our city safer. This is about public safety and protecting all New Yorkers."
Mastro says the executive order is carefully written to comply with New York's sanctuary city laws, which allow the city to cooperate with criminal investigations into 170 crimes including murder and rape. City officials are prevented from cooperating in deportations, which are considered civil matters.
A particular target will be international terrorist organizations like MS-13 and others.
"What will this mean? Will it mean that they will be able to target people who are already in prison at Rikers Island?" Kramer asked.
"To be crystal clear, this is about criminal investigations and law enforcement," Mastro said. "This does not involve civil matters at all, and the executive order is carefully, narrowly tailored." (CBS News)
Border czar Tom Homan thanked the Adams administration on X.
"This is a great first step in our continuing collaboration to make NYC even safer as President Trump has committed to," he said. "Promises Made. Promises Kept."
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