Despite growing calls from local police and the mayor to repeal New York City's sanctuary laws amid a horrific wave of immigration-related crimes, liberal Democrats on the City Council ignored requests for comment on a bill that would do just that.

The Common Sense Caucus, a bipartisan group of nine New York City Council members, introduced a bill in June that, if passed, would repeal some of the sanctuary city policies that prohibit local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. But the bill has been stalled at City Hall since it was introduced and is unlikely to move forward anytime soon. (Related story: 'They only protect criminals': Colorado community sues over law protecting illegal immigrants)

The Daily Caller News Foundation contacted every New York City council member who is not part of the Common Sense Caucus (42 in total) to ask why they support anti-sanctuary city legislation or why they support maintaining current sanctuary city laws. None of their offices responded to a request for comment.

The closest the DCNF came to receiving a statement was from Council Member Shahana Hanif's office, where her staff sent a link. Editorial She co-wrote an op-ed with City Council Member Alexa Avilés that criticized Mayor Eric Adams for wanting to revise the city's sanctuary city laws and argued that such policies keep New Yorkers safe.

One of the co-sponsors of the anti-sanctuary cities bill said local lawmakers need to listen to their constituents and prioritize public safety.

“When our so-called representatives ignore their constituents by not only refusing to put important issues like sanctuary cities legislation on a vote, but refusing to pass common sense legislation into law, it's no wonder New Yorkers are fleeing in droves,” City Councilman Robert Holden, a moderate Democrat and co-chair of the Common Sense Caucus, told DCNF.

“Our elected officials must stop these social experiments and politically correct campaigns and start protecting and representing law-abiding citizens immediately,” he continued.

Calls for reform of the city's sanctuary laws have grown as New Yorkers continue to deal with an ongoing immigration crisis, with more than 200,000 migrants flooding into New York since spring 2022, according to New York City officials, and city taxpayers spending $1.45 billion on immigration services in fiscal year 2023 alone.

The influx of immigrants into New York City has led to a series of high-profile crimes allegedly involving illegal immigrants, including authorities determining that Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, a 19-year-old from Venezuela who is accused of shooting and killing two NYPD officers in June, entered the country illegally.

New York's sanctuary law allows illegal immigrants from Ecuador to Arrested He was arrested in June for the “horrific” rape of a 13-year-old girl at knifepoint.

In another recent example, Nicaraguan national David Davon Bonilla was arrested in August for allegedly raping another woman at knifepoint. Davon Bonilla had previously been arrested by local police on suspicion of sexual assault, but had been released prior to his arrest on the rape charge.

Mayor Adams responded to the Nicaraguan man's criminal history, calling him a “textbook example” of what's wrong with the city's sanctuary laws. NYPD Sergeant John Chell also called for reforms to increase cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

ICE agents monitor hundreds of asylum seekers as they are processed upon entering the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City on June 6, 2023. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Former Mayor Bill de Blasio Signed into law In 2014, Democrats passed a bill that would have largely banned the NYPD from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Enacted Laws The city doubled down on this policy in 2018. There is no official definition of a “sanctuary city,” but New York City is considered a “sanctuary city” by the Center for Immigration Studies. Country List Sanctuary jurisdictions for anti-ICE laws.

A bill introduced by the Common Sense Caucus earlier this year targets a law enacted under Mayor de Blasio, which sponsors emphasize would only allow for greater cooperation between the NYPD and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when it comes to aliens who commit crimes, not aliens who are victims of crimes.

“We're not saying to change that,” Assemblyman Joseph Borelli, one of the few Republicans on the New York City Council, told DCNF about why the bill would not put immigrant crime victims at risk of deportation. “We're saying that when the perpetrators of crimes are illegal immigrants, they should at least cooperate with ICE and incorporate them into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement justice system,” he continued.

Borelli said he and other opponents of sanctuary laws have tried to lobby Gov. Kathy Hockal, a Democrat who has the power to grant temporary exemptions to city laws in the state, but so far the governor has not responded to their efforts. The Common Sense Caucus' hopes for reform were dashed when the commission tasked with deciding which issues to put on the November ballot and directly empowering New York City voters decided not to include a referendum on the city's sanctuary laws.

The Republican said he wasn't surprised that other City Council members hadn't spoken publicly about his proposal.

“The silence is not surprising given voter dissatisfaction with the state of New York's migrant crisis,” he said. “It has gone beyond a few people in homeless shelters to blanketing our streets, increasing crime and taking over public spaces. It's inevitable at this point, and progressive City Council members just don't want to acknowledge it.”

Despite someone as powerful as the mayor stating his support for repealing the city's sanctuary law, Borelli said he doesn't believe Adams has enough influence to get the liberal Democrat-dominated City Council to change its position on the issue.

“Nothing's going to change by the end of the year,” he said. “Unless we change the process by which we elect people in New York City, I don't see it changing anytime soon.”

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