NYC mayor ordered to halt plan to have ICE in Rikers Island jail

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been ordered by a judge to temporarily halt a program that would have immigration agents operating in the city’s notorious Rikers Island jail. The order from Judge Mary Rosado prohibits the city from moving forward with any negotiations, signings, or implementations of any Memorandum of Understanding with the federal government until an April 25 hearing in a lawsuit challenging the plan.

The lawsuit against Mayor Adams was filed by the Democratic-controlled New York City Council, which aims to prevent Adams from collaborating with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement. The lawsuit specifically targets Adams’ recent executive order allowing federal immigration authorities to operate an office on Rikers Island to assist in criminal investigations related to drug trafficking, organized violence, and migrant gang activity in the city.

According to the city council, Adams engaged in an unlawful “quid pro quo” with the Trump administration by permitting ICE into the city prison in exchange for the dismissal of federal corruption charges against him. The lawsuit alleges that Adams prioritized his own political interests over the city’s sanctuary laws, dubbing the executive order as “the poisoned fruit of Mayor Adams’s deal with the Trump Administration.”

In response to the lawsuit, Adams announced that his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro, would be overseeing all decisions regarding the return of ICE to Rikers Island to ensure transparency and prevent any conflicts of interest. Mastro confirmed that discussions with the federal government regarding the plan were ongoing.

ICE had previously maintained a presence at Rikers Island but was banned from the jail complex in 2014 under New York City’s sanctuary laws, which limit cooperation with immigration enforcement. The lawsuit seeks to prevent the re-implementation of ICE operations at Rikers Island and hold Mayor Adams accountable for his actions.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on the matter. Stay tuned for updates as this story unfolds.

This article was written by Peter Pinedo of Fox News Digital, with contributions from The Associated Press. For more news updates, download the Fox News app.