New York City Mayor Eric Adams' recent meeting with former ICE Director Tom Homan, appointed by President-elect Trump as border czar, signals a significant shift in the city's stance on immigration. Once a staunch defender of sanctuary city policies, Mayor Adams now seems willing to collaborate with the incoming administration on deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records. This change of heart follows a massive influx of migrants to the city, straining resources and contributing to a rise in crime. Adams' earlier pleas to the Biden administration for assistance went unanswered, forcing him to reconsider his approach.

This shift could be a harbinger of similar changes in other sanctuary cities and states. While some mayors and governors have voiced opposition to Trump's deportation plans, their legal standing to obstruct federal immigration enforcement is questionable. The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution grants the federal government authority over immigration matters, and historical precedents demonstrate the potential consequences for officials who interfere with federal law enforcement.

Several legal avenues exist to compel cooperation with federal immigration laws. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 prohibits local governments from obstructing information sharing with federal immigration authorities and allows the president to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. This could have significant financial implications for cities like San Francisco and states like California, which are already facing substantial budget deficits. Beyond financial pressure, the Justice Department could pursue criminal charges against officials who actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

Public opinion increasingly favors stricter immigration enforcement, including deportations. This provides President-elect Trump with a mandate to address the border crisis. Whether through financial incentives or legal action, the incoming administration appears poised to take decisive steps to enforce federal immigration law.