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Inside Politics

New York City Council Sues Adams Over Allowing Ice at Rikers; Adams Running for Re-election as an Independent, Bypassing the June Democratic Mayoral Primary; Judge Boasberg Finds Probable Cause to Hold Trump Administration in Contempt; Third-party Will Review Security of Pennsylvania Governor's Home; DNC Vice Chair David Hogg Vows to Primary Ineffective Dems; U.K. Supreme Court Rules Trans Women Do Not Meet Legal Definition of Women. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired April 16, 2025 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:30:00]

ERIC ADAMS, (D) MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Until proven guilty and these charges are dismissed. Not to come back, he made the determination to do with prejudice, that was his determination and his call, and I support his belief. And I stated from the beginning, I did nothing wrong and that we would fight justice to the end. And Alex Spiro, my attorney, did that.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR OF 'INSIDE POLITICS': And Mayor de Blasio, just on the underlying issue that we are talking about here, the idea that ICE is now allowed back in Rikers, this was your decision to ban ICE back during your administration. So, Mayor Adams is reversing your decision.

BILL DE BLASIO, (D) FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: Look, Dana, I am always concerned about the way the Trump administration is going about immigration policy because I think it's extremely politicized. Right now, we're seeing a fundamental threat to American civil liberties when they're even talking about taking American citizens off the streets and sending them to foreign prisons. So something's really wrong, but I want to separate that from the question of how we do legitimate enforcement.

And I think this is something that Mayor Adams and I would see eye to eye on. We have a very strong law here in New York City that says there's a hundred and -- I think it's 170 serious and violent crimes, that if a undocumented person commits them and they go through due process, they're found guilty, they should be removed from this country. And that's the right way to do things with due process.

You know, if ICE is going to have a presence on Rikers and abide by our city law, fine. But what I'm worried about beyond that is the bigger reality we're seeing coming out of Washington --

BASH: So --

DE BLASIO: -- which is politicizing and weaponizing ICE and not making it about appropriate immigration enforcement.

BASH: So you're OK with it, even though you banned ICE when you were in office, banned ICE from Rikers?

DE BLASIO: What I care about --

BASH: Are you OK with it now?

DE BLASIO: Dana, what I'm OK -- what I care about is that the city law, which was passed in my time, is abided by. And I think, honestly, if there's an ICE office on Rikers and they abide by our city law, that's something I certainly can live with.

BASH: Yeah.

DE BLASIO: The crucial thing is, we have to keep a very close eye on ICE, an eye on them because it seems they're working from a different agenda.

ADAMS: And Dana, we cannot -- we cannot forget something that's very important, that is often lost in this conversation. Mayors must govern based on the actions that are in front of them. I have a real problem with dangerous Venezuelan gangs and other gangs. They have created a level of violence, shooting at police officers. We've witnessed some extreme circumstances. And so, what is done during one administration is different from another administration.

We must be able to adjust to keep New Yorkers safe. And 80 percent of New Yorkers agree that those who commit these violent acts should be deported after they serve their time. I'm listening to the voices --

BASH: Yeah.

ADAMS: -- of New Yorkers. And it's not only ICE, let's be clear. It is FBI, it is the Postal Service. It is HIS. I'm collaborating just as I did --

BASH: Right.

ADAMS: -- under the Biden administration. I collaborated and brought the former president here to see how we're collaborating with federal authorities.

BASH: Mayor Adams, you mentioned Venezuela. There are reports that a 19-year-old Venezuelan who was living in the Bronx in your city, was detained in February and sent to this notorious prison that has so been in the news, in the headlines, in El Salvador. Now, this teenager's family says he has no criminal record. He didn't have any tattoos. Do you know anything about this case?

ADAMS: No, I do not. And I'm not allowed under the current law in New York City to collaborate with any agents, with ICE, dealing with civil deportation.

BASH: OK.

ADAMS: And we will always adhere to what the law is. But I am, as I stated previously, prior to this election, I will collaborate with federal authorities to go after dangerous people that are harming, documented and undocumented New Yorkers.

BASH: So you -- you're saying you collaborate with the Trump administration. You collaborated with the Biden administration. I'm hearing you on that. You also just heard your friend and Former Mayor Bill de Blasio talk about civil liberties. Are you openly working with the Trump administration? I mean, as you work with them on these issues, are you comfortable with the way in which they are rounding up and deporting people? Especially in the case of what is going on right now, with a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia and the administration is refusing?

ADAMS: Well, you know, one thing I'm clear on is that I'm not a hypocrite. I've been very clear on my policies, and if we look at the roading (ph) and the communications I stated pre of Trump -- the mayor -- President Trump being elected, it's the same. There's consistency. And what I am clear on, we must have federal immigration policies. When you allow an open border and you allow anyone to come through, you have a $7.5 billion price tag on our cities. El Paso shouldn't be going through this. Chicago shouldn't be going through this. New York shouldn't be going through this.

[12:35:00]

BASH: Yeah.

ADAMS: I don't control immigration.

BASH: And I hear you.

ADAMS: It's a federal issue.

BASH: And you've been really clear on that, that it's a federal issue.

ADAMS: Yes.

BASH: But you're also a lifelong law enforcement official. You have to have an opinion. Never mind the mayor of New York City.

ADAMS: Yes. And as a lifelong law enforcement person that from the '84 talked about public safety as a prerequisite to prosperity, I stay with that. Our federal government must deal with the immigration issue and it should not be placed on cities. And the Constitution clearly lays out the federal government will handle immigration.

And we can't say based on who's the president, let's be consistent. And the hypocrisy is that what I've raised in a previous administration, I would say again now, the federal government on all levels must deal with immigration crisis.

BASH: Just to put a button on it, because the previous administration and this administration, as you have laid out, they're dealing with this in a different way. Just to --

ADAMS: Yes. BASH: -- be clear, you are -- yes or no, you're OK with the way that the Trump administration is handling the immigration situation in New York City and beyond, right now?

ADAMS: What I said over and over again, and I'm going to continue, the federal government, that's not only the president, Congress, everyone must focus on what we've been doing with immigration in our country. Here in this city, we have a large number of immigrants that participate every day in the quality of life of this city. The mayors should not have to do this. That includes the Chicago mayor, the Denver mayor, the Houston mayor.

BASH: Right. I'm not asking if you have to do it. I'm asking if the way the federal government is doing it makes you comfortable or not.

ADAMS: I want to be consistent. As I said, you trying to get a yes or no answer to something that I've been consistent on, federal government must deal with immigration. My job is whomever is in the city is to ensure they're able to go to school, get healthcare, public safety, and be able to work in a free environment. And I have provided that as a mayor.

230,000 migrants and asylum seekers came to this city and not one had to sleep on the streets because of what we've accomplished here. And I'm going to continue to do my job for those who are in the city. But if we manage the immigration policies, the cities won't have to handle this problem.

DE BLASIO: Hey Dana, real quick point.

BASH: The show is called -- please go ahead.

DE BLASIO: Real quick point. Yeah. You know, New York City, since actually the time of Mayor Ed Koch has not asked a documentation status of people who come here.

BASH: Right. It's a so-called sanctuary city.

DE BLASIO: And that's NYPD -- the NYPD believes in that fundamentally because otherwise, you're going to have -- you know, we have 500,000 undocumented people here and if you start asking documentation status, they're not going to report crimes or be witnesses to crime, being able help the police to do their job. So I just think it's really important, the point Mayor Adams made, what we are doing in New York City, we've done it across Democratic and Republican administrations here, is to say, if you come here and you're law abiding, we're not trying to participate in a deportation process because that would cut off all communication.

BASH: OK. Let me just ask you -- you both have to go. You're very generous with your time. It's "Inside Politics." I have to ask you, Mayor de Blasio, a political question. You are very well known to not have the greatest relationship with Andrew Cuomo who was running for mayor.

DE BLASIO: I'm shocked by your question. (LAUGH)

BASH: Will you endorse -- will you endorse the man sitting next to you? Eric Adams for mayor?

DE BLASIO: So thank you for the question, Dana. Look, it's early still in this election here in New York City. I don't have an intention to get involved in any way at this point, but I'm going to watch really closely. And you know, I have offered a critique of the former governor and I have real concerns about him and I -- because of what I experienced as mayor, including the fact when we tried to achieve early childhood education for all our kids, we didn't get a real warm reception in Albany. So that's one of the reasons I appreciate what Mayor Adams is doing here today.

BASH: And Mayor Adams, you are a Democrat. You're running on the independent ticket. Is that because you were worried you would lose the Democratic primary to Andrew Cuomo?

ADAMS: No. It was those bogus charges that really overshadowed the success that I had in this city. Bringing down crime, more jobs in the city history, affordable housing broke record levels, tourism second highest in city history. I can go through the list. We did not believe this was going to be as long. On the eve of petitioning, I carried and received 25,000 signatures. And so, I need a runway to allow New Yorkers to know exactly what we've accomplished without those bogus charges over my head.

And I'm looking forward to doing so. I'm still a Democrat. I'm democrat -- I'm running on an independent line. And that's what all democracy is about. That's what Lindsay did when he ran as an independent and was re-elected. That's the beauty of democracy.

BASH: Yeah.

ADAMS -- in America. And nothing personifies that more than New York City. And I look forward to being out there.

BASH: Mayor Eric Adams, Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

[12:40:00]

DE BLASIO: Thanks, Dana.

ADAMS: Thank you.

BASH: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: We're following the breaking news this morning. The U.S. -- a U.S. district judge ruled that there's "probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for violating court orders to halt deportations." My panel is back with us. And Jeff Zeleny, I know this just happened, I don't know, a few minutes ago. Are you hearing anything yet from Trump sources?

[12:45:00]

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Not yet from the White House officially. They likely are waiting for the Department of Justice to respond. But look, this is something that the White House has made clear. The president has made it clear, certainly people who work around him, their view of Judge Boasberg, who we should point out was elevated by President Obama, but was initially appointed by George W. Bush. He's viewed as a straight shooter. He has a lot of conservative friends and allies as well, including some on the Supreme Court, his college roommates, et cetera.

So look, I think that this is -- the question here, it seems to be, and this is a 46-page ruling as we just were looking through it. Is there jurisdiction here for him to act because it was moved to a Texas court? But Judge Boasberg is saying that there clearly is in his mind. So I think that this is going to be one more example of the White House pushing back at judges. We've heard what they've said about Judge Boasberg. The president has been very sharply critical of him without really knowing his true body of work, I think.

BASH: Or caring. Just more to what is underneath all of this, and that it's just a reminder that there were planes that left for El Salvador. And this was after Judge Boasberg said, no, you have to wait. They can't go. And then they went anyway. The dispute is whether or not the planes were already in the air, and if they were, whether or not a federal judge has jurisdiction to turn them around, if they're over international waters. The Trump administration argues, no, they don't. This judge is not buying that.

He says that the government's actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its order, sufficient for the court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt. It is lengthy, but one of the things he did say in here that he is offended that the Trump administration or people inside the DOJ seem to be "joking" about this.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Look, we are not even a hundred days into this administration, but it has been clear from pretty much the beginning that there -- we were on -- we were in a situation where the White House and the courts are on a collision course, and it's going on, on a bunch of things. We were talking about earlier in the program where this man who is in El Salvador, there's a court order to bring him back. And the Trump administration has interpreted that to say, well, if he gets back, then we would take him in, but then we'll deport him again.

They are finding legal ways through a lot of these things so far. We don't know what will happen as these challenges keep on going. It's -- by the way, also with what's happening with press access in the White House. The White House was sued by the Associated Press for keeping them out of the press pool. They fought it in court. They lost, there's an injunction that said that they had to let the Associated Press back into the pool. Yesterday, what did they do? They decided, actually, we're just going to get rid of that spot entirely. That is a legal way around the decision.

The question that I think we are getting to more and more immediately is what happens if and when there is a court decision that is pretty direct against what the Trump White House wants or the president wants, and does he then say no directly instead of finding these so far legal ways?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. Yeah. And listen, the president in the past has said he would follow court orders. I think, at this point, he is -- he and his team are finding all sorts of loopholes to defy court orders. But this is also a president who finds all sorts of loopholes. Like, he seems to suggest there's a loophole in whether or not he can run for a third, term. And so I think, it is likely that we'll have a president who sees his power is something that should be expanded. That's what he's doing.

He's going after Harvard; he's going after Columbia. He's a president who thinks he should have his hand in many areas, including obviously immigration, no matter what the court says.

ZELENY: And it's criminal contempt. That's what this is. And the judge writes this. The court does not reach such a conclusion lightly or hastily. Indeed, it has given defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. So criminal contempt, this is serious. And this is going to shine the light on one more time. What can be said from the White House podium or the White House driveway or on Fox News is not the same as what you can say in a court of law.

BASH: Yeah.

ZELENY: So those are about to be joined here. This is a very serious matter, criminal contempt of court.

DOVERE: What is that famous Andrew Jackson line that goes back to his defying to the Supreme Court? The judge has made his ruling now, let him enforce it. Right? And so, that may be what we're up against here.

BASH: Yeah. Andrew Jackson is definitely a model of -- his presidency was a model in many ways for Donald Trump. Thank you, guys. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:54:20]

BASH: Tapping our political radar, Pennsylvania State Police say a third-party expert will conduct an independent review of the security measures at Governor Josh Shapiro's home. It comes amid serious concerns about how a suspect was able to hop a fence and set his residence on fire over the weekend.

Plus, Democrats versus Democrats. David Hogg, the 25-year-old gun safety advocate turned DNC Vice Chair, is launching a push to primary, people he calls ineffective in the Democratic Party. Hogg is leading this effort in a personal capacity through his organization, Leaders We Deserve. But his plan to spend $20 million to boost challengers even in safe districts is significant given his official party role.

[12:55:00]

And a landmark ruling from across the pond, the United Kingdom's Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman does not include transgender women. Unanimous decision from Britain's highest court could have a major impact on how the U.K.'s equality laws are applied.

Thank you so much for joining "Inside Politics" today. "CNN News Central" starts after the break.

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