Jumaane Williams on Law Enforcement

Disputes over the policies, conduct, and oversight of law enforcement agencies.

How we classify topics

Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.

Statement history

2 statements on this page. Dates: March 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026

2 matching statements. Dates: March 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026

2 published statements. Dates: March 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026

Condemned

2 published statements. Dates: March 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026

2 statements on this page. Dates: March 24, 2026 to October 8, 2026

Jumaane Williams

Role at the time: New York City Public Advocate, in a press statement

October 8, 2026Condemned

Statement summary

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said ICE shot a New Yorker who had a child in his car and that, even with details unknown, the shooting was not an aberration but fully in line with ICE's mission of terrorizing immigrant communities. He called on the city to release any footage or information collected from the scene.

“Today ICE shot a New Yorker on our streets. He had a child in his car. And even as details remain unknown, this wasn't an outlier or an aberration. This is fully in line with ICE's mission of terrorizing immigrant communities. Fully expected when agents are more armed than they are trained, more directed toward public brutality than public safety.”

Read the official statementNYC Public Advocate's statement on the ICE shooting in Marble HillFull press statement dated October 8, 2026.

Press statement from Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. The page gives the date October 8, 2026; the office posted the statement on X at 8:21 p.m. EDT that evening.

Archived copy

Why we used this label

The reference point is whether the ICE officer was justified in shooting the man in the car. Williams calls the shooting fully in line with ICE's mission of terrorizing immigrant communities and says it was expected from agents more armed than trained, which rejects the shooting as justified even though he says details are unknown, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a statement that withholds judgment pending facts; his statement draws its conclusion before them.

Read statement Was ICE justified in shooting a man in a car in Marble Hill?

Jumaane Williams

Role at the time: Public Advocate of New York City, in a post from his office's X account

March 24, 2026Condemned

Statement summary

The Public Advocate's office said that in a humane world an alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death, that it would monitor the inquiry into Vincent Thoms's death in custody, and that the city must urgently act to ensure the safety of everyone in custody.

“In a humane world, alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death. We will continue to monitor the inquiry into Vincent Thoms' death in custody. With a new administration in place, the City must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody.”

Read the original postPublic Advocate's office post on Vincent Thoms's death in custody (X)Full post, March 24, 2026, 1:06 p.m. EDT.

Post on the official X account of New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams's office, sharing a Daily News report on Thoms's death.

Why we used this label

The reference point is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody. The Public Advocate's office says that in a humane world "alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death" and that the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody". That treats Thoms's death as a failure to keep people in custody safe, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a call to wait for the inquiry; the post also demands urgent action.

Read statement Is the NYPD failing people who fall ill in its custody?