Will President Trump and Mayor Adams Cooperate on Immigration?
By Jeff Charles
Are we on the verge of seeing a collaboration between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President-elect Donald Trump? The border crisis has made some strange bedfellows.
Adams, the mayor of one of America’s bluest cities, has already signaled that he is willing to team up with the incoming Trump administration to confront the impact of the crisis at the southern border. Given that his city is currently struggling to deal with the constant influx of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, this comes as no surprise.
But Democrats are already firing their flaming arrows at the mayor over the issue.
Adams dueled with the hosts of “The View” during a recent appearance in which they attacked him for defending Trump against those falsely accusing him of being a “fascist.” When co-host Sara Haines asked Adams about his defense of the president-elect, Adams responded by criticizing “the rhetoric that we’re using across our country and what our children are listening to and what we’re doing.”
He pointed out that Democrats “were even calling [Trump] Hitler” and characterized these attacks as “an insult to the millions of Jews and others who died. We know what Hitler did.”
Joy Behar tried to press Adams on the issue, asking whether Trump should lead by softening his rhetoric. Adams responded, saying, “Everybody should!”
During a recent press conference, a defiant Adams defended his intention to meet with Tom Homan, Trump’s incoming border czar, challenging his opposition to try canceling him over the issue. He pledged to target migrants who are committing crimes. Adams told reporters,
Those who are here committing crimes, robberies, shooting at police officers, raping innocent people, have been a harm to our country, I want to sit down and hear the plan on how we’re going to address them. Those are the people I am talking about, and I would love to sit down with the border czar to hear his thoughts on how we’re going to address those who are harming our citizens.
Adams continued, noting that “This is not a new position” and that people are afraid to “be honest about the truth” in “the era of cancel culture.”
Well, cancel me, because I’m going to protect the people of the city,
Adams vowed. “If you come into this country, in 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 the city under.”
Homan has also expressed interest in meeting with Mayor Adams to strategize about the border crisis issue. During an appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” he said,
I’m willing to meet with him, and I’m willing to meet with anybody to help make their communities safer.
No official date has been set for the meeting.
While it is unknown whether Adams and Trump have met to discuss immigration or other matters, the two men reportedly have back channel connections if they wish to use them to communicate. The mayor has maintained close ties with folks in Trump’s orbit, including conservative radio talk show host Sid Rosenberg and attorney Arthur Aidala, according to Politico.
“We all agree that it’s in the mayor’s best interest to buddy up to Donald Trump if, in fact, this thing gets worse,” said Rosenberg. Aidala offered to act as a go-between.
If I could help in any way, shape or form [to] be an ambassador to New York for the White House…Of course, I would do that in a second to better the city.
Critics of Adams surmised that Adams’ reluctance to criticize Trump is due to a desire for clemency amid the federal indictment the mayor is facing. The president-elect himself has expressed sympathy and a shared sense of persecution with Adams, saying, “I just want to be nice because I know what it’s like to be persecuted by the DOJ.”
Adams has made similar comments, saying that the indictment is a form of retaliation after the mayor repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for refusing to help New York City deal with the ongoing migrant crisis. It has elicited criticism from within his own party. “You probably should have just remained a Republican if you wanted to be a MAGA for Trump,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
There are indications that Trump’s victory could have an impact on Adams’ legal battles. Billionaire John Catsimatidis, who supports both Trump and Adams, told Politico that the president-elect might be willing to help Adams because of their shared experience and desire to do something about the immigration problem. “If [the case] is nonsense the way President Trump’s case was… then I’m sure [Trump] would be helpful,” he said.
Trump’s intervention could potentially prevent the case from being prosecuted. Or, the president-elect could simply pardon the mayor and end the indictment altogether.
The mayor has clashed with the Biden administration on multiple occasions over its failure to address the migrant crisis. He accused the White House of neglecting New York City as it struggles to keep up with the overwhelming costs and logistical challenge of housing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. After a December 2023 meeting with President Joe Biden, a frustrated Adams declared, “Help is not on the way” and later said,
The national government has turned its back on New York City.
By August 2024, the Big Apple had spent $5.5 billion to house over 250,000 migrants since 2022. That number is expected to balloon to $12 billion by 2026 if action is not taken to address the problem. Yet, federal contributions have accounted for only one percent of the total cost.
Adams has also aimed at Republican figures, especially Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been bussing thousands of migrants to New York City as part of a political stunt. “The far right is doing the wrong thing. The far left is doing nothing,” Adams said in 2022. The mayor slammed Abbott for targeting “black-run cities” and exploiting migrants as pawns. He also lashed out at the White House for flying about 33,000 migrants into the city without coordinating with local authorities.
Adams’ defiance in the face of criticism, combined with Trump’s willingness to engage on the immigration issue, could mark a turning point in addressing the border crisis. It could serve as an example of bipartisan leadership that could lead to actual solutions.
Whether this partnership bears fruit or collapses under political pressure, it will remind New York City and the rest of the country that the stakes are far too high for inaction. This could be the beginning of a productive relationship for both politicians.
