NYC’s Mayor Signs Order Banning ICE from New York
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani just signed a defiant executive order to ban ICE from city property. Invoking the Quran and calling federal enforcement an "abuse of power," Mamdani is drawing a line in the sand against the Trump administration.
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."
Mamdani described ICE as a "manifestation of the abuse of power" and called for "defiance through compassion" in supporting immigrant communities.
This comes amid broader tensions over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, with Mamdani previously expressing support for abolishing ICE altogether, arguing it terrorizes people regardless of status.