Mayor Eric Adams echoes demand to change New York’s sanctuary city laws

NEW YORK — There is growing concern about New York’s sanctuary city laws.

Not after long NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell sounded the alarm to CBS News New York on TuesdayMayor Eric Adams raised similar concerns. His remarks on Wednesday followed the arrest of a homeless migrant who allegedly raped a woman in Brooklyn last weekend.

“What we need to amend are those who are repeat, violent offenders. After serving their time, they should be able to be turned over to (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be removed from our city,” Adams said.

This is it this is not the first time Adams has criticized the city’s sanctuary status. In February, he called for more cooperation with ICE.

“I don’t believe that people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city,” Adams said at the time.

Migrant accused of rape in Coney Island

The mayor and Chell are calling for change after the arrest of 24-year-old Daniel Bonilla, who is accused of raping a woman in Coney Island on Sunday.

Bonilla, a migrant from Nicaragua, was also arrested in 2023 for sexually assaulting a woman at a shelter in Brooklyn.

On Tuesday, Chell said Bonilla should have been deported after serving his sentence in June.

“When that case went to trial, his next step should have been to get on a bus or a plane and be removed from our city,” Chell said.

Chell and Adams are calling on city leaders to amend existing law so the NYPD can coordinate with ICE when a migrant is convicted of a violent crime.

In June, City Council members Robert Holden and Joe Borelli introduced a bill to repeal New York’s sanctuary city status, but the proposed legislation faces strong objections from the council’s left-leaning Democratic majority.

Immigration advocates say the law is needed to protect migrants and encourage them to cooperate with police if they are victims or witnesses of a crime.