The New York governor said she would propose legislation and measures aimed at exerting more oversight over the mayor’s office. Adams responded there would have been no legal basis to remove him.

The US justice department is currently pushing to drop a corruption case against Adams, which a former top prosecutor alleged was a deal in exchange for the mayor’s co-operation on immigration enforcement.

Adams was indicted on corruption and bribery charges last year, and his trial is scheduled for April. The mayor pleaded not guilty and has denied wrongdoing.

Announcing her proposed “guardrails” against Adams on Thursday, the governor said she decided not to use her power to remove the mayor as she could not defy the “will of the voters”.

In her new plan, she has proposed a new inspector general position for New York City, providing more resources for officials to take legal action against the Trump administration, and expanding funding for the state comptroller’s office to conduct more oversight of the city.

Hochul said these steps would “make sure our leaders are operating only with the city’s best interest in mind”.

The plan would still require approval from the New York City Council and state legislature.

The mayor said in a statement later: “While there is no legal basis for limiting New Yorkers’ power by limiting the authority of my office, I have told the governor, as we have done in the past, that I am willing to work with her to ensure faith in our government is strong.”

Hochul’s attempt to rein in the mayor comes as he awaits the decision of a New York judge regarding his corruption case.

Adams was indicted last year for allegedly accepting gifts totalling more than $100,000 (£75,000) from Turkish citizens in exchange for favours.

The Trump administration ordered its Manhattan prosecutors to drop the case against Adams, arguing it impedes on his official duties for national security.

Shortly after the directive, the top Manhattan federal prosecutor in the case, Danielle Sassoon, resigned in protest. Several other federal prosecutors followed.

In a letter to the US attorney general, Sassoon alleged that the justice department and Adams’ lawyers had engaged in a quid-pro-quo for the mayor to enforce Trump’s immigration policies in exchange for dropping the case.

Amid the uproar, Hochul announced that she was weighing whether to use her powers to remove Adams.

Adams denied he had propositioned the justice department to drop the case in exchange for immigration enforcement.

His attorney, Alex Spiro, argued in court that because Adams lost his security clearance due to his criminal charges, the case should be dismissed so that he can again participate in high-level public safety conversations.

The case has sent the city’s government into upheaval and infuriated New Yorkers, dozens of whom appeared for Adams’ hearing this week to boo him as he arrived at court. A handful of supporters held signs on the courthouse steps.

As the Trump administration seeks to dismiss the charges against Adams, the president has sought to flex his influence over New York City, announcing he intends to revoke approval for the city’s congestion pricing programme that started in January.

In her remarks, Hochul took aim directly at the Trump administration, referring to him at one point as a “king”.

“We know they’ll stop at nothing to try to exercise control over New York,” she said of the Trump administration.

A top prosecutor in Manhattan last week alleged the New York City mayor had asked the Trump administration to drop a corruption case against him in exchange for his cooperation on immigration enforcement.

Four of Adams’ top deputies, including the first deputy mayor, resigned on Monday after the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the criminal case against Adams.

The “alleged conduct at City Hall that has been reported over the past two weeks is troubling and cannot be ignored”, Hochul said in a statement.

“In the 235 years of New York State history, these powers have never been utilized to remove a duly-elected mayor; overturning the will of the voters is a serious step that should not be taken lightly,” Hochul said.

Adams was indicted last year for allegedly accepting gifts totalling more than $100,000 (£75,000) from Turkish citizens in exchange for favours. He denies the charges. The trial is scheduled for April.

But his administration has been plagued by staff departures and scandals since the charges against him were first announced. A number of members of his orbit have also been charged as a part of the investigation.

The governor’s meeting with “key leaders” on Tuesday follows the resignations of four of Adams’ top deputies – First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer; Deputy mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom; the deputy mayor for operations, Meera Joshi; and the deputy mayor for public safety, Chauncey Parker.

“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” Adams said in a statement after accepting the resignations on Monday.

In a joint statement, Torres-Springer, Joshi and Williams-Isom said they were resigning because of the latest scandal.

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” they said.

Last week, the former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Danielle Sassoon, resigned over pressure from the Justice Department to drop the Adams case.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove argued that the case against Adams had “restricted” the mayor’s ability to address “illegal immigration and violent crime” – two of President Donald Trump’s key priorities.

Ms Sassoon said dropping the case would set a “breathtaking and dangerous precedent”.

Seven other Justice Department officials left before prosecutors eventually filed a motion to drop the case. New York Judge Dale Ho still needs to sign off on the request.

During an interview alongside Trump’s border czar Tom Homan last week, Adams denied he had proposed the Justice Department drop the case in exchange for immigration measures, a move Ms Sassoon said amounted to a “quid pro quo”.

Adams said the allegations were “silly”.

Hochul faced calls to remove Adams after the indictment against him was first unsealed last September, but she did not move to do so then.