NEW YORK, United States (CMC) — Caribbean immigration advocates on Wednesday strongly condemned New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ appearance before the United States Congressional Committee on Oversight amid heightened calls for his resignation over reported collusion with President Donald Trump over mass deportations.

Adams, along with three other mayors of “sanctuary cities” — Chicago, Boston and Denver — testified in front of the committee.

“In today’s Congressional hearing on sanctuary cities, we saw further evidence that Eric Adams is unfit to lead New York City,” Murad Awawdeh, president and chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella organisation that represents over 200 immigrant advocacy groups in New York, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

“Even in this sham hearing — which was mostly an opportunity for extremist MAGA (make America great again) Republicans to spew hate and distortions about immigration — the mayor’s ability to lead the city was repeatedly questioned,” he added. “We did not expect to learn much from this spectacle, but as Congress members questioned Eric Adams we rarely got past the debate of if he entered a quid pro quo agreement with the Trump administration.

“Instead of going to bat for all New Yorkers, Adams once again stood up for himself and himself alone,” Awawdeh continued. “We commend the mayors of Boston, Chicago and Denver for standing up for their city’s residents, and for promoting sanctuary policies that ensure public safety for all.”

Natalia Aristizabal of Make the Road Action, another immigrant advocacy group in New York, said: “Time and again Mayor Adams has shown that he is more interested in cosying up to the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda than protecting everyone in New York City.”

“Instead of showing leadership and standing up for our immigrant communities, the mayor is selling out immigrant families in an effort to salvage his own political career,” she told CMC. “During today’s hearing Mayor Adams—in stark contrast to the mayors of Boston, Chicago, and Denver—refused to stand up for New York City’s laws and communities.”

“While anti-immigrant politicians attacked immigrants, Mayor Adams seemed more than happy to amplify their falsehoods and scapegoat our neighbours,” Aristizabal added. “The mayor pointed to the cost of welcoming new New Yorkers as a burden to taxpayers, completely ignoring the fact that his own administration approved millions of dollars in spending to contractors who were clearly unqualified and gouging the city. He is seeking to shift the blame for his own fiscal mismanagement.”

“It is clear that Mayor Adams’s legal case and agreement with the Trump administration makes him unfit to serve as mayor of New York City,” she continued. “This is why we are pushing for New York for All—a statewide law that would limit collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency). We cannot trust local politicians who are saving their own skins by betraying our communities.”

In his testimony, Adams told the Congressional Oversight Committee: “Federal law did not allow me to stop buses from entering New York City. State law required me to provide all in our city with housing and meals and to educate children. City law makes it unlawful to collaborate with ICE for civil enforcement.”

“We complied with all of these legal requirements and still managed the humanitarian crisis with care and compassion, while at the same time bringing down crime, recovering our economy and preventing any child from being forced to sleep on the streets,” added the mayor, stating that “comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue”.

“While the solution is not within my control, as a mayor, I am committed to working with federal officials — no matter who is president — to go after violent gangs and those who harm residents of our city,” he continued. “That is why we have over 330 NYPD (New York Police Department) officers assigned to different federal joint task forces — over 70 of which are assigned to task forces with Homeland Security Investigations, the criminal investigations arm of ICE.”

Adams said those task forces focus on “many different important priorities, including going after violent gangs and child exploitation”.

“I look forward to sharing how New York City collaborates daily with our city, state, and federal partners to keep our city safe,” he said.

As calls intensified for the mayor to step down, New York Governor Kathy Hochul last month proposed new actions to restore public trust in New York City government.

Hochul announced sweeping expansion of state oversight and new guardrails to ensure what she described as “accountability” and the protection of New Yorkers.

However, the governor noted that these actions will require legislative action and that they would take effect immediately upon passage.

But Awawdeh said that, “New York City, under Mayor Eric Adams, is beholden to the demands of Donald Trump.”

“No new checks that New York State could impose on New York City will fix that issue,” he told CMC.  “Eric Adams sold out New Yorkers to avoid prosecution for corruption charges in a quid pro quo deal with the Trump administration, plain and simple.”

“Now, he is working with the Trump administration to separate families in New York City in direct violation of our local sanctuary policies,” Awawdeh added. “All New Yorkers will face real and dire consequences from Governor Hochul’s refusal to hold the mayor accountable for his actions.”

“The people will not remain silent in the face of the threat posed by Eric Adams to immigrant New Yorkers,” he said.