New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a stern warning to anti-ICE protesters, cautioning that demonstrators who interfere with law enforcement will face consequences.
Appearing on Fox & Friends, Adams defended the city’s approach to recent protests and made clear that obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations would not be tolerated.
“You’re not going to impede federal authorities from taking their actions, and that’s just what we were able to accomplish,” Adams said. “So if you were those who were sitting in the roadway, blocking trucks, blocking pedestrians, or blocking parents from wanting to go to the job…. it’s not going to happen in the city.”
Adams said the city had the resources to manage the demonstrations, stating, “We took the right actions throughout this entire initiative. I communicated with the governor and the administration to say, in New York City, we have the manpower to handle this problem.”
The mayor contrasted New York’s handling of the weekend’s “No Kings” protest with scenes in other cities, noting that the demonstrations were relatively peaceful. He confirmed that only a few arrests were made, mostly for “disorderly conduct-type crimes.”
Adams has repeatedly emphasized his intent to avoid the kind of widespread rioting seen elsewhere. At a press conference last week, he addressed the violent riots that broke out in Los Angeles, saying, “The escalation of protests in Los Angeles over the last couple of days is unacceptable and would not be tolerated if attempted in our city.”
Adams’ recent comments come one day after President Donald Trump announced on social media that he had directed federal officials to prioritize deportations in major cities, including New York. The president said ICE officials have been instructed “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”
