The head of the NYPD sergeants union and the New York police commissioner are locked in a very public debate about whether or not the city will follow President Trump's deportation policies, the New York Daily News reports.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has held a firm stance against the Trump administration's immigration policies, warning "the stroke of a pen in Washington does not change the people of New York City or our values. It does not change how this city government protects its people." Police Commissioner James O'Neill added in a memo last week that "it is critical that everyone who comes into contact with the NYPD, regardless of their immigration status, be able to identify themselves or seek assistance without hesitation, anxiety, or fear."
But Ed Mullins, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told AM 970 on Sunday that "it's almost like the world is upside-down right now. The people who are committing crimes, they don't belong in the country."
"Make no mistake about it, the members of law enforcement in the NYPD want to cooperate with ICE," Mullins added. "I speak to cops every day — they want to cooperate with ICE, they want to work with fellow law enforcement agents."
A spokesperson for O'Neill hit back at Mullins, saying, "Police Commissioner O'Neill does not need a lesson on morality from Sgt. Ed Mullins, but rather Mullins could use some education about what really drives crime in New York City and how to best deal with it."
The spokesperson went on to say: "The Department has clearly established policies and practices relating to the processing of ICE detainer requests. With these fair and reasonable procedures in place, the NYPD has continued to keep New York the safest large city in America." Read the full details of the feud at the New York Daily News.