(The Center Square) – Two of the country’s largest cities are taking different approaches to the incoming Trump administration’s aim of deporting violent non-citizens.
President-elect Donald Trump takes office Jan. 20. He’s promised on Day 1 to take action on border security and mass deportations.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week blasted the Biden administration’s handling of the border, allowing millions into the country and costing New York taxpayers $6.4 billion.
“We all should be angry about what happened to our city under this administration,” Adam said at a news conference Tuesday.
Adams said there needs to be immigration reform, but he’s going to sit down with Trump’s border officials this week to discuss deportation efforts to remove violent non-citizens.
“And if you come into this country and this city and think you’re going to harm innocent New Yorkers and innocent migrants and asylum seekers, this is not the mayor you want to be in a city under,” Adams said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he hasn’t talked with Trump officials yet and brushed aside the idea of working with immigration officials.
“Asking police officers to behave as [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents is antithetical to building community trust,” Johnson said.
Illinois has received about 55,000 non-citizen migrants since August 2022, costing Illinois taxpayers more than $1 billion.
Chicago resident P Rae Eastly said state and city officials should step aside. The residents are calling ICE.
“See something and say something today,” Eastly told The Center Square. “We don’t care that Brandon said that they’re not going to help. We’re going to help. The citizens of Chicago, the people who pay into the $25 billion ICE budget.”
