New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stated this week that there is nothing wrong with protecting undocumented drunk drivers in the Big Apple from federal agents – in defiance to President Donald Trump’s recently signed executive orders on immigration in America.

When speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, de Blasio insisted that there are a number of inaccuracies regarding New York City’s status as a sanctuary city – which harbors documented criminals and resettled refugees from militant nations.

Excusing illegals

The controversial mayor argued that threatening to deport illegal aliens who report a crime will make America’s most populous city a more dangerous place to live.

“[De Blasio] said that there were 500,000 illegal aliens in the city, and law enforcement said that it was critical in the war on crime to allow these people to come forward and report crimes without the fear of being deported,” Townhall reported. “He added that this is a policy that goes back to the Ed Koch era … [and] mentioned that Trump’s executive order to target funding could impact the Department of Homeland Security anti-terrorism dollars that flow into [the] NYPD.”

Tapper then brought up how New York City protects illegal aliens from federal authorities when they commit crimes that local officials regard as “lesser offenses” – including possession of marijuana and running through a red light. But de Blasio shot back by saying that federal agents should not uphold the law and deport the offenders because deporting illegal aliens separates them from other family members living illegally in the United States.

“De Blasio reasoned that these are deportable offenses that would lead to the break-up of families,” Townhall’s Matt Vespa recounted. “He also said that the vast majority of illegals are law-abiding, despite them violating federal immigration law. He was tugging at the heartstrings.”

Questioning de Blasio’s line of reasoning on Sunday’s State of the Union, Tapper followed up by inquiring whether drunk driving or grand larceny – which are crimes that are currently shielded by New York City – would be treated as minor offences by city officials. He specifically asked the mayor about bringing illegal aliens caught driving under the influence of alcohol to justice, the city leader had no problem with shielding them from federal authorities.

“[It’s okay if it doesn’t] lead to any other negative outcome,” de Blasio retorted, according to The Hill.

Justifying lawlessness

He the qualified his lenience in that area by insisting that he stuck to the law in others.

“De Blasio added illegals who commit violent offenses – or anything involving a weapon – are reported to the federal authorities,” Vespa informed.

Following the same line of questioning, Tapper asked the head over New York City if he will comply with the directives given by federal authorities who are enforcing Trump’s executive order – which stops federal funding to cities not cooperating with immigration officials.

"If you’re a drunk driver and you’re an undocumented immigrant, why should there be a place for you in this country?” Tapper posed to the Democratic mayor.

De Blasio then attempted to evade the question by shifting the attention onto the way his city’s law enforcement deals with more overtly dangerous crimes.

"Jake, there are 170 offenses in that law that are listed as serious and violent crimes that lead to automatic cooperation between the city of New York and our federal partners,” DeBlasio told the CNN host. “So, any serious and violent crime, we’re going to work with them.”