Remember when Eric Adams became the mayor of New York City? He said that the city would proudly remain a sanctuary city. Everyone is welcome, regardless of legal status. Good time, good times. 

Adams has frequently been in the news for how he is handling the influx of illegal aliens into the city. He is singing a different tune these days. During a town hall meeting in Canarsie, Brooklyn on Monday, Adams called for reforms to be made to the city's current sanctuary city laws. He told the crowd, "It is a right to live in this city and you should not be committing crimes in our city." 

Well now. Did the mayor only now wake up to the fact that some illegal aliens commit crimes? When Donald Trump ran for president in 2015, he said that Mexico was not sending its best people to America. He said that there are some 'bad hombres' who come to America illegally. The left went nuts when Trump said that. How dare he. Illegal aliens are just poor people looking to come to America for a better life, they said. 

The reality that not all illegal aliens are innocents just trying to live the American Dream smacked Adams and New Yorkers as stories were published and videos were released that showed illegal aliens robbing, looting, and brutally attacking innocent people on the streets of New York. Not all illegal aliens are Mexicans anymore. The whole world is coming across Biden's open southern border. Now a big problem is with Venezuelans who are committing crimes and acts of violent behavior. Some are violent gang members. Joe Biden has imported violent gangs from Venezuela. 

Adams said that migrants who commit a felony can be turned over to ICE and deported. He praised his administration for doing an excellent job during challenging times. He told his audience that his hands are tied by federal and local law. 

The sanctuary laws date back to the 1980s. They prohibit city government workers and agencies from helping federal immigration authorities find and detain illegal aliens who live in the five boroughs for deportation purposes. Exceptions are to laws that allow the city to cooperate with the federal government in some cases. Those exceptions include an illegal alien convicted of a serious or violent crime. However, existing laws do not allow the city to cooperate with the federal government if an illegal has only been charged with a crime. 

Conservatives and fed-up New Yorkers responded to the words of Adams favorably, often with surprise at what sounded like a turnaround from his previous statements. He said the laws are too lax and some need to be changed. But he didn't go into what changes should be made on Monday night. 

Has he put thought into the changes he would ask for from city officials? 

“The overwhelming number of migrants and asylum seekers that are here, they want to work … but those small numbers that are committing crimes, we need to modify the sanctuary city law that if you commit a felony, a violent act, we should be able to turn you over to ICE and have you deported,” Adams said, a remark that drew applause from participants at the town hall held at a public school in Canarsie. “It is a right to live in this city and you should be not committing crimes in our city in doing so. Right now, we don’t have the authority to do so.”

How much change will the mayor request? He still sounds ok with being a sanctuary city. He is addressing the criminal element and how it affects the lives of New Yorkers. It's a political move. He's only talking about modifying existing laws.

In the past, before the escalation of crime committed by violent illegal aliens became national news, Adams avoided addressing the issue of sanctuary city laws. He passed it off on the City Council who are responsible for tweaking the laws. The Council Speaker, Adrienne Adams, said earlier this month that the council doesn't have plans to alter sanctuary laws.

It's good that Mayor Adams has been mugged by reality and has to act to keep his job. It is best to remain skeptical for now, though, as it seems the City Council is not on board with changes. Adams can't work alone on this issue.