Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Questioning the potential presence of ICE at Rikers Island
2:11:25
ยท
3 min
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions Commissioner Manuel Castro about the mayor's announcement regarding ICE's presence at Rikers Island. The discussion focuses on the compatibility of this decision with New York City's long-standing sanctuary city laws.
- Castro avoids speculating on potential changes to sanctuary laws
- Restler presses for information on a possible executive order allowing ICE at Rikers
- Neither Castro nor Director Schaefer have been consulted or have information about such an order
Lincoln Restler
2:11:25
I want to start by just asking a little bit more about the mayor's pronouncement that ICE was coming to DOC.
2:11:37
When did our how long have our sanctuary city laws been in place here in New York?
2:11:41
Do you know?
2:11:45
Nineteen eighty five.
Manuel Castro
2:11:46
Yeah.
2:11:46
For some time.
2:11:47
Forty They began as executive orders.
Lincoln Restler
2:11:49
Yes.
2:11:50
Began as city ordinances in in 1985 in the Koch administration There was an effort all around the country to help protect immigrant communities and expand sanctuary city efforts.
2:11:59
But for forty years, we have proudly been a sanctuary city.
2:12:03
That's almost as old as I am.
2:12:04
That's old.
2:12:07
And now the mayor seems to be, you know, operating in explicit conflict with our local law in saying that ICE is gonna be showing up at Rikers Island.
2:12:18
Do you believe that it is possible for ICE to be accommodated at Rikers Island in a way that is consistent with our sanctuary city laws?
Manuel Castro
2:12:29
Oh, council member, thank you for your question.
2:12:32
Earlier in the hearing, I shared that I hesitate weighing in on any proposals in any of these conversations and speculate about what might happen next as so as not to confuse our community.
2:12:45
Part of my role and our role at Moya is to make sure that the message is clear to our community that while there are a lot of discussions about what might come next, no laws, including sanctuary laws and policies have changed.
2:13:02
Moya has not been part of any of these conversations to change these laws.
2:13:05
I just wanna make sure
Lincoln Restler
2:13:07
I appreciate that.
2:13:08
And I'm not trying to sow confusion, but it is a simple question.
2:13:11
Is it possible for ICE to be present on Rikers Island in a fashion that is consistent with our sanctuary city laws?
Manuel Castro
2:13:17
I'd have to defer to law on this.
2:13:19
We're taking a look at this.
Lincoln Restler
2:13:21
Have you seen a draft executive order that would allow for ICE to appear at Rikers Island?
Manuel Castro
2:13:26
We have not.
2:13:28
Do you
Lincoln Restler
2:13:28
know the status of this imaginary executive order?
2:13:31
We have not.
2:13:32
Do you know who's working on it?
Manuel Castro
2:13:34
The the law department, we know as much as you all know.
Lincoln Restler
2:13:38
Director Schaefer, can you elaborate?
2:13:39
Do you know who's working on this executive order that would allow ICE to appear on Rikers Island?
Molly Schaefer
2:13:43
No.
2:13:45
As the mayor said in public comments, I think the law department or the chief counsel's office.
Lincoln Restler
2:13:51
You have not been consulted in any fashion?
Molly Schaefer
2:13:53
I have not been consulted on this.
2:13:55
No.
Lincoln Restler
2:13:55
So lawyers are working on this.
2:13:58
We don't know the status of it according to the leading professionals in the administration who are responsible for immigrant affairs.
2:14:04
They have no information whatsoever that they can share at this hearing.
2:14:07
No awareness, have not been consulted.
2:14:09
Lawyers are supposedly working on this thing that the mayor talked about on television that he was permitting ICE to show up at Rikers Island, although it appears to be an explicit conflict with our local law.
2:14:18
Do I have that all right?
Manuel Castro
2:14:22
Yes.
2:14:22
We have not been involved and we don't have any information.