New York’s mayor says he has told US President-elect Donald Trump that he will work against his plans to deport immigrants stressing that people in the city are “fearful” of what his White House administration could bring.
During a meeting at Trump Tower, Bill de Blasio said he warned the Republican he would aim to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation.
He said Mr Trump’s plans would not work in “the ultimate city of immigrants”.
Mr Trump has pledged to deport or jail up to three million undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Mr de Blasio is not the only city leader to oppose the incoming US president’s immigration policies.
The mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC have also vowed to protect their immigrant residents from deportation.
Following Mr Trump’s shock election victory last week, Mr de Blasio said the city would resist any attempt by the Trump administration to access its database containing the names of undocumented immigrants who have received ID cards.
The New York mayor, a liberal Democrat, told reporters his hour-long meeting with Mr Trump had been “respectful” and “candid”.
“I reiterated to him that this city and so many cities around the country will do all we can to protect our residents and to make sure that families are not torn apart,” he told reporters.
He added that New York “has succeeded because it was open for everyone, the place built of generation after generation of immigrants”.
But Mr de Blasio also said Mr Trump “loves” his hometown, which voted by a large margin for the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton.
