Written by Shane O’Brien for AMNY on 9/9/25
Elected officials and criminal justice advocates have welcomed a New York State
Supreme Court ruling on Monday that struck down an executive order issued by Mayor
Eric Adams that sought to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office
at Rikers Island.
Judge Mary Rosado declared Executive Order 50 “null and void” on Monday, describing
it as an “impermissible appearance of a conflict of interest” in the wake of the Trump
Justice Department’s move to drop corruption charges against Hizzoner in exchange for
cooperation with the administration’s immigration agenda.
The judge noted that Adams had signaled his intentions to allow immigration
authorities into the Rikers Island facility three days after prosecutors were directed to
drop corruption charges against him.
City Hall, however, has insisted that there is no conflict of interest and has indicated
that it will appeal the ruling.
Adams’ critics hail court’s decision
The City Council, which sued the Mayor after Adams issued the executive order in April,
welcomed the Sept. 8 state Supreme Court ruling as a “major win” for New York City.
Speaker Adrienne Adams, Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Criminal Justice Chair Sandy
Nurse and Immigration Chair Alexa Avilés issued a joint statement on Monday evening
stating that the ruling strengthens public safety and the Constitutional rights of all New
Yorkers.
“We’re pleased that the court recognized Mayor Adams and Randy Mastro’s attempt to
do Trump’s bidding and betray their obligation to New Yorkers as unlawful,” elected
officials said in a joint statement. “This decision protects the civil rights of all New
Yorkers from being violated and makes our city safer.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said he was proud to support the legal case against
the executive order and described attempts to invite ICE onto Rikers Island as a “quid
pro quo.” He additionally described the executive order as an example of overreach and
accused Adams of being Trump’s “deputy in City Hall.”
“Whether on immigration, fair bail laws or several other areas, the Adams
administration seems eager to support the Trump narrative rather than defend the facts.
That may serve the mayor well in his next job, but it does not serve the people of New
York City,” Williams said.
Criminal justice advocates also welcomed Monday’s ruling, accusing the Mayor of
attempting to sell out immigrant New Yorkers.
Melanie Dominguez, organizing director for the Katal Center for Equity, Health and
Justice, also described Adams’s “shameless” executive order as a “quid pro quo” with
Trump to get his corruption charges dropped.
“We hail this ruling; instead of working with ICE to further criminalize immigrants, the
Mayor should be working to shut down the deadly jail complex and protect all New
Yorkers,” Dominguez said.
Darren Mack, co-director of “decarceration” advocacy group Freedom Agenda, said the
decision is a victory for immigrant New Yorkers and for “all who believe that no one
should be doubly punished with incarceration and deportation.”
“It affirms what community advocates have been saying for years: Rikers is a place of
violence and human suffering, and allowing ICE to prey on people there only deepens
the harm,” Mack said in a statement.
Mastro confident in appeal effort
In a statement, Mastro said the Adams Administration disagrees with Judge Rosado’s
decision and expressed confidence that the appeal will be successful. He also argued that
“at no point” did Rosado dispute that the executive order “fully complies with local law.”
He also insisted that there was no conflict of interest in the executive order.
“There is no actual conflict of interest here, and the mayor responded to the appearance
of a conflict by delegating this issue to me as his first deputy mayor,” Mastro said. “I
acted entirely independently of the mayor.”
Mastro further contended that the executive order sought to facilitate the criminal
prosecution of violent transnational gangs that commit crimes in New York City.
“Our administration has never, and will never, do anything to jeopardize the safety of
law-abiding immigrants, and this executive order ensures their safety as well,” Mastro
added.
Critics of the executive order had argued that the law would allow ICE to operate within
Rikers Island with little oversight.
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez said the ruling “affirms the civil rights of New Yorkers” while
also protecting immigrant communities from “Trump’s deportation machine.”
“New York is a sanctuary state,” Velázquez said. “We categorically reject ICE’s lawless
presence in our neighborhoods. We will not allow immigrant families to be terrorized or
let ICE undermine the values of justice and humanity that define our city and state.”