Foie gras faux pas? Hochul, Adams spar over controversial duck liver after migrant showdown

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing off with New York City Mayor Eric Adams over foie gras, a delicacy of duck liver in a showdown that comes after the two Democrats clashed over the migrant crisis.

The Adams administration tried to enforce a foie gras ban that then-Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law in November 2019. When the ban was set to go into effect in November 2022, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets ordered the city to not enforce the restriction, arguing that it "unreasonably restricts" two foie gras farms’ "operations and on-farm practices" under state law, Politico reported Sunday.

The Adams administration sued over the state's order, and a judge ruled in favor of the city earlier this month and said the state's interference in the city ban was "arbitrary and capricious."

However, the legal battle is still ongoing as two duck farms involved in the case have filed a notice of appeal. 

"What Hochul’s done is just a massive abuse of her power," Voters for Animal Rights Allie Feldman Taylor, who advocated for the ban, said.

Opponents of the ban argue that the city is overreaching by trying to end the practice, which involves the force-feeding of ducks, 100 miles away in the Catskills.

Hochul and Adams had a close relationship, but it has been strained as New York City struggles to deal with an influx of 100,000 migrants over the past year.

Follow Madeleine Hubbard on X or Instagram.