One lawmaker wants to put a stop to the soft-on-crime wokeness that has infected blue cities through a new law that would open sanctuary city mayors to criminal liability.
U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, R-Georgia, introduced the Establishing Responsibility for Illegals’ Crimes and Adding Deterrence and Accountability for Mayors’ Sanctuary Cities Act, or the ERIC ADAMS Act, on Friday.
For years, sanctuary cities have allowed violent illegal criminals to be released back onto the streets. The legislation would hold mayors of sanctuary cities responsible for illegal immigrants who commit murder within their jurisdictions.
The legislation is designed to “establish criminal liability for mayors of sanctuary cities in cases of murder committed by undocumented immigrants within their jurisdiction, and for other purposes.”
If passed, it would carry a penalty of up to seven years in prison, as well as certain fines, if a mayor fails to comply with federal law enforcement and an illegal immigrant goes on to commit murder.
“Laken Riley and countless other loved ones could still be alive today if our immigration laws were respected by mayors of sanctuary cities,” said Rep. Carter in a statement, referencing a nursing student killed by an illegal immigrant in early 2024 in Georgia.
“As far as I’m concerned, they have blood on their hands and should be held personally accountable for creating a lawless environment that allows criminal illegal aliens to commit murder,” Carter said.
The legislation is the latest effort to put pressure on Democratic-controlled cities that have allowed crime to run rampant, especially by illegal immigrants who are released by local judges.
As Border Czar Tom Homan has said, “Sanctuary cities are sanctuaries for criminals.”
Sanctuary cities refuse to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, so even if an illegal who has been arrested for a crime has an ICE detainer, local authorities will not hold or notify federal immigration agents.
Under Carter’s legislation, a sanctuary city mayor could be found guilty of “criminal negligence resulting in manslaughter” if an undocumented person committed murder there and if “the mayor knowingly adopted, maintained, or failed to repeal a sanctuary policy that materially restricted cooperation with Federal immigration enforcement, and such policy directly and foreseeably contributed to the failure to detain or remove” the person before the crime was committed, according to bill text.
Carter, meanwhile, is running to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., in the November 2026 midterms, Fox News Digital reported.
The legislation is named after New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is up for re-election this November but unlikely to win due to his failure to address crime and other controversaries.
Reports of illegal immigrants committing violent crimes, including rape, robbery and murder, is a daily occurrence in New York City. They have targeted innocent New Yorkers and police officers in parks, on the subway and popular tourist spots such as Times Square.
The Trump administration recently moved to sue the Big Apple for its sanctuary policies, which date back to 1989, according to the lawsuit filed in a New York federal court.
The lawsuit names New York City Mayor Eric Adams and several other city officials as defendants.
🏛 House Bill #4838 Update | 👤 Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
📝 New Bill Proposes Criminal Charges for Mayors of Sanctuary Cities in Murder Cases by Undocumented Immigrants
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/WYS52XxBaK pic.twitter.com/48aYKkgSdN
— Publius Anonymus (@PubliusAnonymus) August 2, 2025
The Justice Department cited New York’s policy that prohibits its Department of Corrections from honoring ICE detainers, meaning they don’t notify federal immigration authorities when a criminal illegal immigrant is released from jail, Fox News Digital reported.
The New York Police Department was subject to a similar provision, the lawsuit states.
In 2014, New York City further resisted cooperation with ICE by adding an amendment to its sanctuary city policy that immigration detainers would not be honored without a warrant issued by an Article III judge (or magistrate judge). In addition, the illegal had to be convicted of a “violent or serious” crime within the past five years or listed as a possible match on the federal terrorist watch list.
U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., applauded the lawsuit, saying it’s time to New York City accountable for its dangerous sanctuary policies.
“Restoring public safety in our communities starts with New York City cooperating with ICE’s detainer requests. Failing to do so keeps dangerous criminals on our streets,” she wrote on X.
I thank @AGPamBondi and @TheJusticeDept for taking action to hold New York City accountable for its dangerous sanctuary policies, which have enabled violent crime in our streets, cost innocent lives, and resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars coming out of New Yorkers’ pockets.…
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepNicole) July 24, 2025
Malliotakis added that she filed a Freedom of Information Law request that revealed the far-reaching the consequences of the city’s failed policies. The data showed that over 16,000 crimes were committed by thousands of illegal immigrants who were residing at hotels and shelters at taxpayer expense.
“The facts speak for themselves: sanctuary policies aren’t just misguided they are costly and dangerous,” she wrote.
President Trump already tried a similar lawsuit in 2017 and lost. Former Acting ICE Director Ron Vitiello appeared on FOX News’ “The Will Cain Show” and believes the case should go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“President Trump is right on this issue,” Vitiello said. “Federal law trumps the states’ desires and this wokeness that has infected big blue cities.”
It’s one of multiple such lawsuits Trump’s officials are pursuing against Democrat-run cities and states.
On June 30, the U.S. Department of Justice also filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, the City Council and Mayor Karen Bass.
“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi when announcing the lawsuit. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump.”
