Robert Holden, New York City Council member Interview

Robert Holden talks with Mendte in the Morning about the conversations he’s had with Mayor Eric Adams about his plans for Riker’s Island over the years.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's bring in Robert hold In, New York City Council
Member Code chair of the New York City Council Common
Sense Caucus. And your ears must have been ringing yesterday
because thanks for being here. By the way, counselmen, your
ears must have been ringing yesterday because during Mayor Adams
news conference, they brought up Rikers Island and that allegedly

(00:22):
he was doing this only because Donald Trump said that
it was a good idea and he wanted to work
out a deal with Donald Trump to avoid charges. But
he said, well, I'll play it for you. This is
what the Mayor Adams said.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
The first person that brought that to me about utilizing
of rykus is on Reichus was counselman holding this is
before before this administration took Offen. Holden reached out. As
matter of fact, I have a few text messages from
him that's saying, listen, why don't we doing this? This

(00:55):
was one of his ideas that he sends me a
lot of ideas, So is that true.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
He's got his dates wrong there. Larry I texted him
after Trump won this time, and it was December of
twenty twenty four, just a few months Ago. I texted
him about why not reopen the ICE office at Rikers.
I wouldn't have done that before he took office. I

(01:24):
reminded what he's confusing. He's confusing the fact that I
did text him when he first was about to take
office to not close Rikers. Yeah, because we didn't you know,
the borough based jails would not house the current population.
That's all I texted him back before he took office.
That was in I guess twenty twenty one or sometime

(01:48):
around there. But he's so he's combining the two and
he had you know, he's got his dates very wrong.
And I texted him once or twice about reopening the
ICE office at Rikers, which, by the way, Ice, you know,
retweeted my I tweeted that out and Ice retweeted it
in Washington. So I felt, hey, this can gain some momentum.

(02:10):
So the mayor did it. But I don't know why
he's blaming me. I love the idea.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
I didn't think he was blaming you. I think he
was trying to say that I wasn't working with Trump.
I was working with Robert Holden, which wouldn't have the
same political fireworks involved with it. But I guess the
important part of this is so he got that date wrong.
But did you suggest this before Donald Trump and Tom

(02:39):
Holman came to him about it?

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, I yes, we came up with the idea. We
reminded Ice because I think people forgot. It's going back
to you know, ten years or more when they closed
the ICE office at Rikers, so many people forgot. We
remembered my cheapest alf Daniel Crazina K came up with
the idea, and I said, let's do it. Let's let's

(03:03):
right to Washington and let's also text the mayor or
right to the mayor, and we did and that was that.
But that was in like sort of end of November
December of last year, so it's not that long ago.
And the mayor liked the idea, and I think Tom
Holman loved the idea when we met with him. He said,

(03:23):
it's a great idea. We're gonna We're gonna do it.
So yeah, I'll take the blame because I think it's
a great idea. It makes us more safe. Why would
we want to have gang members roaming our streets and
let the feds if they could, you know, somehow grab
a guy before he gets back into circulation. I mean, Marie,
there's thirty three thousand gangs in the US. Do we

(03:46):
do we need more? Do we need Do we need
to have people that are here legally roaming our streets
committing more crimes. No? And you know the fact that
the speaker of the city Council has has sued the
mayor about this, which the mayor has a perfect right
to issue an executive order. Actually, the twenty fourteen law

(04:08):
that you know wanted the ban ice some Rikers says
the mayor can do it by executive order and to
allow ice for criminal issues. So it's not you know,
civil issues. It's not like deporting someone because they just
happened to be here illegally. It's criminal if they committed

(04:29):
a crime. And that's what Randy mashrowh who's the new
first deputy mayor. He's a godsend to this city, by
the way, because he's a common sense person. I met
with him a few times already, and we see eye
to eye on things, which is great.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
No, it's great. Everything you said is wonderful, and I
agree that they should be picked up at Rikers, no fuss,
no mess. But something you said I want to clarify.
So you said you told Mayor Adams, but you also
told Tom Holman. He said that was a great idea.
So this was your idea, not Tom Holman's.

Speaker 3 (05:07):
No, Tom Holman, Yes, it was before because we we
they retweeted, like I said, ICE retweeted my tweet about
let's reopen the ICE office at Rikers so they don't
have to chase these guys down, you know, to find
out where and when they got released because nobody's they
don't notify ICE. And by the way, ICE, you know,

(05:30):
issued a number of detainers in the last few years
to the City of New York to hold these guys,
don't let them out, and they honored none of them
in the last few years. So things changed when Donald
Trump became president. So I, you know, came up with
the idea along with my chief of staff, let's reopen
the ICE office. And wow, so we gave it to
We gave it to to ICE, and then and then

(05:53):
Tom Holman wanted to meet with us.

Speaker 1 (05:55):
That's wonderful. Robert hold new York City Council member, co
chair of the New York City Council Common Sense Caucus,
the man who came up with the Rankers solution. Thank
you so much, Robert, I appreciate your time