NYC Council slaps Eric Adams admin with lawsuit over ICE return to Rikers Island
The New York City Council has sued the Adams administration over its move to return federal immigration officials to Rikers Island — bashing it as “poisoned fruit” of the deal struck between Hizzoner and the Trump admin.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, argues that the executive order issued by First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro is null and void because Adams never formally gave his second-in-command the power to issue such an order.
“The Mayor’s attempted delegation of authority to issue Executive Order 50 is invalid,” the suit says.
“Violating the City Charter, the Mayor did not delegate a ‘specified’ duty to Mastro.”
Additionally, the lawsuit argues that Mastro “made no meaningful independent analysis” over allowing ICE to open offices on Rikers, carrying out exactly what Adams had promised border czar Tom Homan earlier this year.
The lawsuit further alleges that the executive order was part of the “corrupt” quid pro quo made by Adams to get his criminal case dropped.
The Adams administration has repeatedly said the immigration agents will not conduct civil immigration enforcement and that no deal was made connected to the mayor’s prosecution, which was formally dropped last month.
However, critics have sounded the alarm, claiming ICE would ignore people’s due process rights regardless.
Sources told The Post that a draft of the order had been going around City Hall in the weeks before Mastro took the job. However, the details of the draft were not known.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry was also on the island weeks ago scouting the jail for space, law enforcement sources said.
