New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, met with incoming border czar Tom Homan on Thursday, a meeting that both men described in positive terms.
“His goal is the same goal I have,” Adams said at a press conference following the meeting. “We cannot allow dangerous individuals to commit repeated violent acts of violence in our cities across America.”
Homan said in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw after the meeting that he believes what he and Adams discussed Thursday “may save lives,” expressing gratitude toward Adams for meeting with him.
“I’m grateful that biggest city in this country, the biggest sanctuary city in this country, is willing to come to the table and help me with my two biggest priorities: criminals and children,” Homan said in the interview with McGraw.Homan also laid out during the interview what he sees as misconceptions about President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans.
“This isn’t a racial sweep. This isn’t military personnel driving through your neighborhood. This is a targeted, well-planned operation,” Homan said.
Just days after he won last month’s presidential election, Trump tapped Homan to serve as border czar, one of the earliest key hires for his second administration. Homan is a former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A proponent of hard-line border policies, Homan supported the first Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which resulted in family separations at the southern border.
Trump made immigration and the border a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, vowing mass deportations and frequently using degrading language toward migrants.
New York City has laws in place limiting how local agencies cooperate with federal deportation efforts. Adams cannot unilaterally rescind the city’s sanctuary status; rather, the status is determined by the city council.
But the mayor said earlier this year that he supported a bill that would roll back parts of the city’s sanctuary policies.
“I’ve stated this over and over again, long before this election, that this can’t be a safe haven of violent individuals,” Adams said during Thursday’s press conference. “You have a right, a privilege, to live in this country, and those who want to commit acts of violence, they are violating that privilege.”
The city saw an influx of migrants in 2022 and 2023, prompting Adams to urge the federal government to provide additional assistance and funds. Other Democratic mayors also asked for additional federal assistance in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott transporting migrants who arrived in Texas to blue states.
Adams’ political future has been uncertain since he was charged in September with wire fraud and bribery. He has denied any wrongdoing.
