April 22 (UPI) -- A New York state judge has prohibited New York City Mayor Eric Adams from allowing federal immigration agents to operate within the Rikers Island jail ahead of a hearing scheduled for later this week.
Judge Mary Rosado wrote in her ruling Monday that she is issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting city officials "from taking any steps towards negotiating, signing or implementing any Memoranda of Understanding with the federal government regarding federal law enforcement presence on Department of Correction property ... until the conclusion of the hearing scheduled for April 25."
The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed last week by New York City Council against Adams' April 8 executive order permitting federal law enforcement and immigration personnel to maintain office space in Rikers Island's prison complex to investigate transnational gang activity.
The City Council accuses Adams of signing the executive order in a quid pro quo with the Trump administration to fulfill its federal immigration policies in exchange for dropping criminal corruption charges the mayor was facing.
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Rosado's ruling stands until the conclusion of Friday's hearing, which is scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m. EDT.
"Judge Rosado's ruling is a welcome decision to halt implementation of this corrupt and lawless Executive Order," New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement on X.
"NYC should be standing up to @realDonaldTrump's mass deportation agenda, not fueling it. And we should be working harder to close Rikers, not adding more bureaucracy to it."
Federal prosecutors charged Adams in late September with five counts of accepting bribes and campaign contributions from foreign nationals and a Turkish government official.
Trump, a convicted felon, and Adams, a Democrat, have seemingly formed a relationship in recent months, with the New York mayor meeting with Trump prior to the New York real estate mogul's Jan. 20 inauguration, which Adams attended.
During the final months of the Biden administration, Adams had become a vocal critic of its immigration policies as an influx of migrants to the Big Apple strained resources.
In Adams, Trump has apparently found a rare Democrat to aid him in his crackdown on both legal and illegal migration.
Earlier this month, Adams announced he is running for re-election as an independent.
