A Manhattan judge on Friday declared Mayor Eric Adams’ executive order to reopen an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Rikers Island null and void, finding that the order created an impermissible appearance of conflict of interest.
In a written decision, State Supreme Court Justice Mary Rosado said the executive order violated rules intended to prevent conflicts and abuse of office. The ruling came after the New York City Council sued to block the order, alleging a corrupt bargain with the Trump White House; the court relied in part on a resignation letter from a former U.S. attorney and a joint televised exchange between Adams and Tom Homan, a former acting ICE director, as evidence in its factfinding.
The city said it will appeal the decision. First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who led the administration’s effort to welcome ICE back to Rikers, said in a statement that there was no actual conflict of interest and that he acted independently of the mayor. “This executive order is about prosecuting violent transnational gangs and ensuring the safety of law-abiding immigrants,” Mastro said.
Rosado had earlier issued two temporary orders blocking the mayor’s directive while litigation proceeded. In Friday’s ruling she issued a final decision setting aside the executive order, concluding that the appearance of a conflict was sufficient to invalidate the mayoral action.
The City Council’s lawsuit argued that reopening an ICE office at the city jail amounted to a political quid pro quo tied to the White House, asking the state court to enjoin the mayor’s move. The Adams administration has framed the action as part of efforts to target violent transnational gangs and enhance public safety; opponents, including several council members, said the order risked politicizing law enforcement and undermining immigrants’ rights.
Adams and his allies have also argued that the federal government, and critics within it, have at times used legal and political pressure against the mayor for his positions on immigration policy. The judge’s decision did not adopt those claims as a defense to the council’s challenge.
Legal experts say the case raises questions about the scope of mayoral authority to direct local cooperation with federal immigration authorities and about the standards judges may apply when considering conflicts of interest in executive actions. The city plans to press the case in higher state courts, where its lawyers are expected to argue that the ruling improperly restricts the mayor’s discretion on public-safety matters and misapplies the relevant ethics standards.
The dispute over the ICE presence at Rikers comes amid broader political tensions between New York City’s government and the federal administration over immigration enforcement. Supporters of renewed cooperation with federal immigration authorities say it can help remove dangerous criminal actors from the streets; critics contend that reliance on ICE risks eroding trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
The immediate next step is the city’s appeal. If higher state courts uphold Rosado’s decision, the executive order would remain blocked; if the appellate courts reverse, the Adams administration could move forward with reopening the office as part of its stated efforts to prosecute violent offenders. For now, the ruling stands as the latest chapter in a contentious legal and political battle over immigration enforcement and municipal autonomy in New York City.