New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order yesterday (Friday), aimed at strengthening protections for immigrants and limiting federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to city properties.
The order reaffirms NYC's sanctuary city status, requiring ICE agents to obtain a judicial warrant before entering city-owned facilities, and directs city agencies to audit their interactions with immigration authorities. It also establishes a committee to handle immigration-related crises and includes plans to distribute 30,000 "Know Your Rights" guides in 10 languages.
Mamdani announced the measure during the city's Interfaith Breakfast, where he drew on his Islamic faith to frame the policy. He referenced the Prophet Muhammad's hijrah (migration) from Mecca to Medina, noting that the Prophet was "a stranger too, who fled Mecca and was welcomed in Medina." He quoted from Surah Al-Nahl in the Quran: "As for those who immigrated in the cause of Allah after being persecuted, we will surely bless them with a good home in this world."
