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Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump sues NYC, Mayor Adams to end sanctuary city protections for immigrants
NEW YORK — The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to end sanctuary city law policies in New York City, arguing that the laws that protect migrants violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Brooklyn Federal Court, cites Sunday's shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer in Fort Washington Park and the arrest of two migrants who were in the country illegally. It contends that the city has 'long been at the vanguard of interfering with enforcing this country's immigration laws.' The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to put a stop to city laws barring the use of city resources from being used in immigration enforcement, and blocking city agencies like the Department of Correction and the police from honoring civil immigration detainers placed by federal authorities. The city's sanctuary laws were passed under Mayor de Blasio in 2014. They limit communications and cooperation between federal immigration enforcement agencies and local agencies, including law enforcement. The lawsuit was filed against the city, Mayor Eric Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as the NYPD and the Department of Correction. It claims local protections are designed to obstruct the lawful enforcement of federal immigration law, and that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution means that federal law pre-empts any laws passed by New York City. 'We will review the lawsuit,' Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said. The council did not immediately comment. 'The challenged provisions of New York City law reflect the City's intentional effort to obstruct the United States' enforcement of federal immigration law, by (among much else) impeding the consultation and communication between federal and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for the United States to enforce the law and keep Americans safe,' the lawsuit contends. 'New York City's Sanctuary Provisions have the purpose and effect of making it more difficult for federal immigration officers to carry out their responsibilities in that jurisdiction.' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday blamed the mayor and New York's sanctuary city policies for the shooting of the off-duty Customs and Border Patrol agent. 'This officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life, because of the policies of the mayor of the city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe refused to do so,' Noem said. 'When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies.' Noem's comments marked an unusual Trump administration rebuke of Adams, whose criminal indictment was dismissed by Trump's DOJ in what has been criticized as a corrupt deal to aid in the administration's deportation efforts. Though named as the defendant in Trump's lawsuit, Adams himself has been critical of the sweep of the city's sanctuary city protections and has talked about the possibility of using executive orders to dial them back. Mamelak said the lawsuit does not point to any change in the relationship between Adams and the Trump administration. 'Mayor Adams has been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,' Mamelak said. 'That's why the mayor supports the essence of the local laws put in place by the City Council — but he has also been clear they go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets and has urged the Council to reexamine them to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer. So far, the Council has refused.' At a press conference Wednesday, the mayor, asked about sanctuary policies, said he wished he could use his executive authority to override laws he didn't like. 'I wish my EOs can override laws. I'd override a whole lot of laws,' Adams said. 'But executive orders can't override laws. And that's one of the misnomers that's out there, that mayors have the ability to override existing laws. No, the City Council, they pass laws and we sign it into law. But we can't use the power of our pen with executive orders to override the laws.' Adams, through his Deputy Randy Mastro, did issue an executive order earlier this year allowing ICE to operate an office on Rikers Island, but those plans are at a standstill after the Council challenged the move in court. The City Council has pushed back strongly against any changes to the sanctuary laws, which are intended to allow immigrants to make use of the city's resources, send children to school and seek help from law enforcement. _____
Chicago Tribune
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Trump administration sues New York City over sanctuary city protections for immigrants
The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to end sanctuary city law policies in New York City, arguing that the laws that protect migrants violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Brooklyn Federal Court, cites Sunday's shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer in Fort Washington Park and the arrest of two migrants who were in the country illegally. It contends that the city has 'long been at the vanguard of interfering with enforcing this country's immigration laws.' The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to put a stop to city laws that bar the use of resources from being used in immigration enforcement, and blocking city agencies like the Department of Correction and the police from honoring civil immigration detainers placed by federal authorities. The city's sanctuary laws were passed under Mayor de Blasio in 2014. They limit communications and cooperation between federal immigration enforcement agencies and local agencies, including law enforcement. The lawsuit specifically takes aim at an NYPD operations order that prevents officers from engaging in or assisting in civil immigration enforcement. It prevents cops from contacting civil immigration authorities to let them know where an individual is located; detaining an individual so that person can be taken into custody and allowing NYPD facilities to be utilized in connection with civil immigration enforcement. The lawsuit was filed against the city, Mayor Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as the NYPD and the Department of Correction. It claims local protections are designed to obstruct the lawful enforcement of federal immigration law, and that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution means that federal law pre-empts any laws passed by New York City. 'We will review the lawsuit,' Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said. The council did not immediately comment. The lawsuit criticized what it called 'the city's intentional effort to obstruct the United States' enforcement of federal immigration law, by (among much else) impeding the consultation and communication between federal and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for the United States to enforce the law and keep Americans safe.' Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, blasted the administration's efforts. 'Unfortunately, Donald Trump thinks that he and he alone can decide our country's local laws – undermining the 10th amendment,' Awawdeh said. 'Today's lawsuit is frivolous at best, and an attack on New York's ability to govern itself at worst. New York must reject Trump's continued assaults to its Constitutional right to pass local laws that serve our communities best. Mayor Adams must fight back against this federal overreach and defend the well-being of all New Yorkers.' The lawsuit comes after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Monday blamed the mayor and New York's sanctuary city policies for the shooting of the off-duty Customs and Border Patrol agent. 'This officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life, because of the policies of the mayor of the city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe refused to do so,' Noem said. 'When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies.' Noem's comments marked an unusual Trump administration rebuke of Adams, whose criminal indictment was dismissed by Trump's DOJ in what has been criticized as a corrupt deal to aid in the administration's deportation efforts. Though named as the defendant in Trump's lawsuit, Adams himself has been critical of the sweep of the city's sanctuary city protections and has talked about the possibility of using executive orders to dial them back. Mamelak said the lawsuit does not point to any change in the relationship between Adams and the Trump administration. 'Mayor Adams has been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,' Mamelak said. 'That's why the mayor supports the essence of the local laws put in place by the City Council — but he has also been clear they go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets and has urged the Council to reexamine them to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer. So far, the Council has refused.' At a press conference Wednesday, the mayor, asked about sanctuary policies, said he wished he could use his executive authority to override laws he didn't like. 'I wish my EOs can override laws. I'd override a whole lot of laws,' Adams said. 'But executive orders can't override laws. And that's one of the misnomers that's out there, that mayors have the ability to override existing laws. No, the City Council, they pass laws and we sign it into law. But we can't use the power of our pen with executive orders to override the laws.' Adams, through his Deputy Randy Mastro, did issue an executive order earlier this year allowing ICE to operate an office on Rikers Island, but those plans are at a standstill after the Council challenged the move in court. The City Council has pushed back strongly against any changes to the sanctuary laws, which are intended to allow immigrants to make use of the city's resources, send children to school and seek help from law enforcement.
Chicago Tribune
11-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana State Police's Cops Cycling for Survivors stops in Merrillville
Colleen Schultz might not be a police officer, but that doesn't stop her from honoring fallen officers — including her son. 'There's a lot of people here,' Schultz said. 'I love that he's still remembered, but it's overwhelming all at once. It's kind of a whole ball of emotions all wrapped in one.' Colleen Schultz's son, Nickolaus Schultz, was the first Merrillville officer to be killed in the line of duty. Nickolaus Schultz died in September 2014 at 24 years old, when he was shot while responding to a call involving an evicted man who had moved back into a condominium, according to Post-Tribune archives. Nickolaus was the first officer in the family, Colleen Schultz said. 'We don't really have any police background,' Schultz said. 'He just decided he wanted to be a police officer and went into law enforcement after college.' She's been riding in the Indiana State Police's Cops Cycling for Survivors since about 2015. The Cops Cycling for Survivors event is in its 24th year, according to a state police news release. Participants bike throughout the state of Indiana, supporting the families of fallen police officers and encouraging people not to forget their service and sacrifice. The Indiana State Police is honoring four officers who died in the line of duty in 2024: Hendricks County Deputy Sheriff Fred Fislar, Newton County Sheriff's Corporal Brandon Schreiber, Department of Correction Lt. Donald Neiswinger and Department of Correction Officer Shawn Burnell. Cyclists started on July 7 in Plainfield and headed to Terre Haute. In total, the ride is about 1,000 miles throughout the state. On Wednesday, they stopped in Merrillville before leaving for South Bend on Thursday. About 20 participants did a ceremony at the Merrillville Police Department to pay homage to fallen officers before leaving for a hotel for the night. Schultz is participating in five days of the ride, ending on Friday in Angola. 'I can't do the southern hills,' she said. 'Five or six days is the most I usually do.' Through the ride, Schultz said she's met a lot of other survivors and keeps in touch with cyclists throughout the year. 'It's good to tell them stories about Nick,' Schultz said. 'They get to know who he was and get to hear stories about the officers who were killed in the line of duty before and after him.' Valparaiso Police Department Officer Sean Liesenfelt also participated in Cops Cycling for Survivors this year. Liesenfelt said this was the first time in seven years that he's participated in the event. The officer is participating in three days of the event, and he's going more than 100 miles. It's important for Liesenfelt to participate and remember fallen officers and their families, he said. Nickolaus Schultz's funeral was one of the first Liesenfelt went to, he added. 'I've been in this position for about 10 years now, and I've been to too many funerals, unfortunately,' Liesenfelt said. 'It kind of sets the tone when you see people who have an emotional tie to these people and the support and love they get.' Through Cops Cycling for Survivors, Liesenfelt has created relationships with survivors of fallen officers, and he said it's been important for them to share memories and stories. 'Whether or not they're law enforcement officers, there's just a feeling of happiness and joy seeing all the people come together and make sure these officers are remembered,' Liesenfelt said. 'It's a whirlwind of emotions because there's sadness, but also joy that comes out of this.'
Boston Globe
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
MCI-Framingham women's prison needs a modern building
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up According to the state-commissioned report, the number of women in state custody peaked in 2007 at 844. MCI-Framingham today has capacity to hold Advertisement Under former governor Charlie Baker, the state was eying Advertisement Healey's proposal, According to Asked about the projected cost of the overhaul, Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance Commissioner Adam Baacke said construction costs have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic (likely because of inflation, a surge in materials prices, supply chain issues, and potential tariffs). He also asserted working in a prison is inherently expensive because materials need to be durable and because of security and logistical concerns during construction. Baacke said reusing existing buildings, as is the plan, would be cheaper than building all new spaces. Advertisement But many advocates who work with incarcerated women — and some legislators who support their cause — argue that incarcerated women don't need a new prison. Rather, they argue, the state should release many of these women, provide better treatment while they are in prison, and spend the $360 million projected price tag on programs to keep women out of prison in the first place. A 'It's hard to look at this $360 million proposal about a new prison with anything but skepticism when there's so many steps that could be taken now … that could improve the lives of women at Framingham,' said Jesse White, interim deputy director of Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts. White pointed to improved visitation policies, limiting the use of strip searches, and making it easier for people to obtain parole, including medical parole. There is certainly more the Department of Correction and lawmakers can and should do to make prison a place for rehabilitation. But there will always be some women who need to be incarcerated, and they deserve a modern, safe prison facility, which MCI-Framingham today cannot provide. Advertisement As Department of Correction Commissioner Shawn Jenkins points out, updating the facility will provide a more welcoming environment for visitors and volunteers, while creating more comfortable spaces for living and programming. The Healey administration should look to control construction costs and listen to prisoners and their advocates as it designs programs for the new facility. But we believe it is on the right track in seeking to build a smaller, more modern prison in Framingham. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prison healthcare provider sues Tennessee for nixing contract award
A Pennsylvania-based prison healthcare company is suing the state over its process for bidding on contracts. (Photo by) A Pennsylvania-based prison healthcare company is suing the state claiming Tennessee officials refused to award it a contract without explanation, a move that risks 'destroying' the state's competitive bidding process. Wexford Health Sources filed the lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court in May, saying the state declined to give it a contract valued at roughly $100 million for health care and behavioral health services in Tennessee prisons even though it scored higher than two other companies in the bidding process. The lawsuit targets the Department of Correction, Commissioner Frank Strada, the state's Central Procurement Office and its director, Mike Perry. Wexford says in the filing the state was prepared to award it the contract for inmate health care and behavioral services until Centurion, which holds the contract, challenged the decision in February. The state then notified Wexford it would send out new requests for proposals without offering a reason, as required by law, the filing says. The state's primary defenses are that Wexford has no standing to file suit and that the court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter. An August hearing is scheduled to consider a state request to dismiss the lawsuit. The state's filing also says the plaintiff's challenge fails because it contests 'a lawful and discretionary decision' before the contract was awarded. In contrast, Wexford's challenge says state law obligates public contracting officials to 'fairly and honestly' consider bids. Otherwise, competitive bidding 'will be undermined' and vendors will be 'discouraged' from submitting bids. It also says Tennessee law recognizes 'that rejecting all bids and canceling a solicitation 'should be the exception in government procurement rather than the rule.'' Wexford's filing further says the state 'stands on the precipice of destroying any semblance of competition in the award of the contract.' Wexford's primary argument is that it was graded higher than Centurion and YesCare (formerly Corizon) in the state's bidding process. Yet just before it was to receive the contract, Centurion protested the award and the Department of Correction called for another set of bids. The March decision marked the second time in recent years the state opted to stick with Centurion and take new bids after the other two companies were to be awarded the contracts. The first time state officials were set to award the contract to YesCare, but reneged on that in 2024, then reversed course on the Wexford contract award this March. The state's Fiscal Review Committee extended Centurion's contract in May because of the litigation. Corizon, which held Tennessee's inmate behavioral health contracts from 2012 to 2020, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Department of Correction five years ago saying the state skewed the bidding process to help Centurion win the contract. That case was settled with prejudice in January 2022. Documents from that lawsuit led the U.S. Department of Justice to charge two men, former Tennessee Department of Correction Deputy Commissioner Wes Landers and Centurion executive Jeffrey Wells, with bid-rigging in connection with the prison system contract. Landers took a job with Centurion after the contract bidding. The company fired both men before the lawsuit settlement, and Landers was found dead in September 2024. House Speaker Cameron Sexton pushed for Centene's Rhythm Health, formerly connected with Centurion, to win a TennCare contract for managed care services after it failed to succeed in bidding in 2021. Sexton sponsored a bill that would have required TennCare to add a fourth contractor, but it failed to pass. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
