NYC employees given steps to follow during ICE interaction

NEW YORK (PIX11) – The City of New York is not instructing city employees to cooperate with federal law enforcement or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams said Friday evening.

A memo obtained by PIX11 News outlines the steps city workers can take if non-local law enforcement requests access to non-public areas for immigration enforcement. According to the date at the top, the memo was shared with city employees on Jan. 13.

The city says the memo contains steps for city workers to follow. The bottom of the memo reads:

It is important to understand that taking actions that are intended to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection a person who is in the United States unlawfully is a federal crime. You cannot take affirmative steps that are intended to help a person avoid being found by ICE.

Memo title: "Procedure for In-Person Interactions with Non-Local Law Enforcement"

The memo gives the following steps: 

• Ask the federal law enforcement officer for their name, badge number, and business card
• Ask the officer why they need access to your workplace or why they need information
• Ask the officer if they have any documents related to their visit, such as a warrant or subpoena. If they do, the city employee should make copies or take photos. 
• Let the officer know city employees have been told to seek guidance from the general counsel.
• Ask the officer to wait while you seek guidance 
• Call general counsel 
• The memo guides city employees to let the officer talk to the general counsel if they ask.
• City employees should follow the directions of the general counsel
• If the employee feels threatened, they should give the officer the information they have asked for or let them enter the site. 
• The memo suggests that city employees should never engage in a physical or verbal altercation with any law enforcement officer
• If the employee feels they must comply with the request without general counsel, they should try to take photos or videos of the incident.

A city spokesperson noted that the immigration situation and guidance are constantly evolving. As a result, the city is finalizing further guidance for city workers to follow if they encounter federal law enforcement attempting to enter a building. 

“Anyone perpetuating the claim that New York City is instructing city employees to simply open doors for federal law enforcement, including ICE, is spreading misinformation that only fuels anxiety within immigrant communities and our city’s workforce,” the city spokesperson said. 

New York City is considered a sanctuary city, which means it limits or declines to cooperate with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration law.