Mayor Eric Adams welcomed incoming “border czar” Donald Trump on Thursday at Gracie Mansion, where a long-awaited face-to-face meeting is scheduled to take place over the president-elect's plan to deport immigrants.
Soon-to-be emperor Tom Homan strolled through the mayor's residence ahead of a meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. There, Mr. Adams will discuss how the administration can work with President Trump to release immigrant criminals from New York City.
Adams has made several comments in the weeks after Trump's election, including suggesting he was open to deporting immigrants before they were convicted and served time in prison. The city is taking an increasingly hardline stance on the area as a protected area.
“Please cancel. I will protect the people of this city,” he declared, opening up.
Sources told the Post that Mr. Adams is eyeing an executive order that could undermine the city's sanctuary city status.
The sit-in also came as Homan vowed to stay out of the way of President Trump's promise of mass deportations, which he said would result in federal funding being withheld if he did not cooperate. It also included threats.
Fears of mass deportation have sparked anxiety among many in New York City, a metropolis historically marked by its tolerance for immigrants.
Adams said he opposes the deportation of hard-working undocumented New Yorkers, but suggested his good intentions do not extend to criminal suspects.
Mr. Heszner's growing affinity for Mr. Trump's policies prompted a potential mayoral challenger, City Comptroller Brad Lander, to slam Mr. Adams.
“Eric Adams is so focused on pandering to President Trump that he is willing to deny people due process and put his family's safety at risk,” Lander said in a statement. “President Trump's cavalier embrace of xenophobic policies is a betrayal of everyone who calls New York City home.”
— Additional reporting by Aneeta Bhole
