(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams praised the Trump administration’s efforts to deport members of the Tren de Aruga and MS-13 gangs during an appearance with the White House’s border czar Tom Homan.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Adams gave a full-throttled endorsement of the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, which he said are getting rid of “dangerous criminals” that are “wreaking havoc” on the streets of his city, and criticized fellow Democrats for bucking those efforts.
“We have taken them down and we will continue to fight violent transnational crimes with the full force of the law,” Adams told reporters. “It’s good to have partners in the federal agencies who are joining us in this priority on how important it is to keep our city safe.”
The press briefing came after federal immigration officials on Tuesday announced the indictment of 27 alleged Tren de Aragua members and associates on racketeering, narcotics, sex trafficking and robbery charges.
“President Trump’s been clear, he made a promise to Americans to make the country safe again. And today you see one step, one small step, and many more steps to come here, to make this country safe and help Mayor Adams and the police commissioner,” Homan said.
Homan praised Adams for cooperating with federal authorities to address “significant public safety threats and national security threats” and said NYPD officers aren’t being enlisted as immigration agents.
“This is what collaboration looks like,” Homan said Tuesday. “Work with us, give us access to the person you locked in a jail cell cause they’re obviously a public safety threat. That’s all we’re asking.”
Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, has been criticized by other New York Democrats over his support for the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigration. Several challengers have made Adams’ cooperation with Trump a key plank of their campaigns to oust the incumbent.
Democrats have also targeted Adams over his administration’s decision to enter into an agreement with U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents to reopen their offices at the notorious Rikers Island prison. That deal has been temporarily blocked by a state judge after the New York City Council was sued over the agreement.
Homan also defended the Trump administration’s handling of the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose deportation to an El Salvador mega-prison has become a flashpoint over the White House immigration policies. A federal judge has accused Homeland Security of violating court orders to return the man to the United States. He said that despite reports, Garcia was deported due to an “administrative error,” there were “no mistakes” by authorities.
“I stand by the fact that this guy, this El Salvador national criminal and gang member terrorist is home,” Homan said at Tuesday’s briefing. “Every member of TDA should be on the run because the Trump administration is committed to removing every single member of TDA and MS-13.”
Adams also criticized Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen for his controversial taxpayer-funded trip to El Salvador to meet with Garcia and call for his return to the country.
“I will tell you this: we have dangerous gangs in our city. And I would not be sipping drinks with them,” Adams said in remarks Tuesday. “I would not be turning them into heroes.”
