The Trump administration blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he issued an executive order reaffirming the city’s sanctuary policies and limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Mamdani signed the order on Friday, directing city agencies to comply with existing sanctuary laws rather than introducing new restrictions.
The order reiterates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents may not use city-owned property, including municipal parking facilities, as staging areas for enforcement operations.
It also repeatedly states that ICE agents must present a judicial warrant before entering private property to carry out arrests.
The executive order does not change city law, as most municipal employees are already barred from assisting ICE with deportation efforts in most cases.
The only new requirement is additional training for employees at six public-facing agencies, including the New York Police Department.
Despite the limited scope, the Department of Homeland Security responded with sharp criticism.
“Mamdani will make New Yorkers less safe as a direct result of this policy,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin argued the mayor should instead cooperate with ICE by releasing criminal aliens into federal custody before they return to city streets.
She accused city leadership of prioritizing illegal immigrants over public safety and law enforcement.
Mamdani rejected the criticism and defended the order.
“These are policies that keep New Yorkers safe,” Mamdani said. “They are motivated by delivering public safety.”
The clash comes as President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on sanctuary cities across the country.
Trump has repeatedly warned that cities refusing to cooperate with federal immigration authorities could lose significant federal funding.
“They do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” Trump said in January. “We’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities.”
The Department of Justice released a list of sanctuary states and cities last August that included New York City and New York State, according to the Daily Mail.
Other cities named included Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Denver.
Trump imposed a February 1 deadline for sanctuary jurisdictions to revoke those policies or face funding cuts.
That deadline passed without any immediate penalties imposed on New York or other listed cities.
Supporters of sanctuary policies argue that the laws encourage illegal immigrants to report crimes and cooperate with police.
Critics argue that the policies shield criminal offenders and obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
New York City’s sanctuary laws include exceptions that allow cooperation with ICE under specific conditions.
