Democrats Order Own Top Ally To Resign

In a tense hearing before the House Oversight Committee, New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced intense criticism from both Republicans and members of his own party. The focus of the session was on sanctuary cities, a hot-button issue that has taken center stage in the ongoing debate over immigration policy. Adams, along with mayors from Boston, Chicago, and Denver, was grilled by lawmakers who viewed his handling of the migrant crisis as a failure.

Much of the criticism aimed at Adams came from his fellow Democrats, who are increasingly uneasy with his recent actions. As the Justice Department decided to drop federal corruption charges against him, questions were raised about whether Adams was compromising New Yorkers’ best interests to avoid prosecution. California Representative Robert Garcia bluntly asked if Adams was “selling out New Yorkers” in exchange for political favors, referencing accusations that he had worked with the Trump administration on immigration to get the charges dropped. Adams denied any wrongdoing, but the exchange made it clear that his position was increasingly tenuous, even within his own party.

Adams also found himself at odds with progressives like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused him of avoiding direct answers on key questions related to the federal case. Ocasio-Cortez pressed him on a meeting between his lawyers and federal prosecutors in January, but Adams deflected, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. His refusal to provide direct answers led to further frustration among Democrats, including those representing New York City itself.

While Democrats took aim at Adams for his alleged political maneuvering, Republicans focused their ire on the broader issue of sanctuary cities. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) took a hard stance, announcing plans to criminally refer the mayors for investigation under Title 8 of the U.S. Code, which makes it illegal to harbor undocumented immigrants. Luna argued that these mayors were not “bad people,” but misguided in their policies. Her statement reflected the Republican Party’s broader concerns about the safety and legality of sanctuary cities, which often refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

The heated exchanges weren’t limited to the mayors. Tensions also flared between lawmakers on the panel. Representative James Comer (R-Ky.) clashed with Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) after a disagreement over committee procedure. The back-and-forth highlighted the growing partisan divide over how to address the country’s immigration crisis.

For Republicans, the issue of sanctuary cities is a political rallying cry. They see it as a symbol of Democratic overreach and a failure to protect American citizens. Former President Donald Trump’s administration was especially vocal on this issue, and the recent hearing underscored that his policies still resonate strongly among Republicans. With the Biden administration’s stance on immigration increasingly under fire, the sanctuary city debate is poised to be a central issue in the 2024 election cycle.

For Adams and the other Democratic mayors, their support of sanctuary policies is increasingly under scrutiny. As crime rates rise and the migrant crisis deepens, it remains to be seen whether their approach will continue to hold the support of the public—or if more cracks will begin to appear in their political foundations.