Mayor Adams is defending federal immigration agents wearing masks during operations at New York City, calling it an issue of safety.

In an interview with local news site, AM New York, Mr. Adams says, “If federal agents are wearing masks and face coverings, that may be part of their practices on keeping their agents safe.”

“I’m not going to go against what methodologies are used to keep your agents safe, particularly with some of the people they come in contact with, like … extremely dangerous gangs,” Mr. Adams adds.

The acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is allowing agents to wear masks during operations.

“If that’s a tool that the men and women of ICE to keep themselves and their family safe, then I will allow it, Todd Lyons tells CBS.

But some in the immigrant community warn that the masks should be banned to help keep law enforcement accountable and make them recognizable if they violate anyone’s rights.

New York lawmakers are proposing making it illegal for federal officers to wear them. But homeland security spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin, says members of ICE are facing a 700 percent increase in assaults because of “demonization” against them.

“Officers are being doxed online and even their families and children are being targeted,” Ms. McLaughlin says in an X posting.

She adds that when ICE agents conduct operations, “they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, criminal rings, murderers, and rapists.”

There could soon be more ICE agents at New York City. During a visit Monday, the border tsar, Tom Homan, vowed to “flood” the city with agents after an off duty border patrol agent was shot in Manhattan.

Thursday, Attorney General Bondi announced the Justice Department is suing the city and Mr. Adams over sanctuary city policies she says block immigration enforcement.

The suit claims that city rules that block allowing federal immigration authorities into jails to arrest violent illegal criminals puts “ICE officers in considerable risk of physical danger” because they have to try to carry out operations on the streets.

“If New York’s leaders won’t step up to protect their citizens, we will,” Ms. Bondi says on X.

Mr. Adams has tried to defer blame, saying, “I have nothing to do with the rules that are put in place. I just carry out the rules.”

Mr. Adams is in a four-way contest to remain mayor of New York City. One of his opponents, Governor Cuomo, claims President Trump “owns” the mayor when it comes to executing his immigration policy.

“He has Adams doing his immigration work,” Mr. Cuomo says in a Thursday morning CNBC interview. “Adams is in lock-step with Homan and his immigration team.” 

The Department of Justice ordered the dismissal of federal corruption charges against Mr. Adams shortly after Mr. Trump returned to the White House. Since then, Mr. Adams has quit the Democratic Party and is running for re-election as an independent.