U.S. President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani react as they speak to members of the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Tuesday, Jan. 13, marks the 13th day of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did today.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday vowed to defend the city’s sanctuary policies after President Donald Trump announced that, starting Feb. 1, the federal government will stop sending payments to states and cities with laws that set limits on how local authorities cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“Our values and our laws are not bargaining chips,” Mamdani said in a post on X. “We will always defend New Yorkers, even in the face of federal threats to withhold funding.”
Trump, speaking in Detroit earlier in the day, railed against sanctuary jurisdictions, claiming they “do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens — and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come.”
The announcement applies to states and cities with sanctuary policies, including New York, and is part of the administration’s broader effort to tie federal funding to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The city is already facing a federal lawsuit filed by the Trump administration in July 2025, challenging its sanctuary laws. The case is ongoing.
Under the city’s sanctuary policies, the NYPD and city agencies are restricted on when they can honor ICE detainer requests, generally allowing them only in cases involving serious crimes or valid judicial warrants. The rules do not prevent federal agents from making arrests on their own, nor do they shield immigrants from local criminal prosecution.
The policies, which date back to the Ed Koch era in the late 1980s, are designed to let immigrants access city services and report crimes without fear of automatic federal immigration action.
Last year, the Department of Justice released a list of 11 jurisdictions it considers sanctuary jurisdictions, saying their policies or practices impede federal immigration enforcement. The list includes states, counties and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, refuse certain ICE detainer requests, or restrict the sharing of information with federal officials. New York State and New York City are among the jurisdictions named.
At an unrelated Monday press briefing, Mamdani was asked whether the city would cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security on issues like gang or terrorist activity, and whether he believed the Department of Homeland Security’s actions over the past year had improved safety in New York City.
“My guiding principle is to follow the law,” Mamdani said. “New York City’s sanctuary policies prohibit coordination with ICE agents on city property without a judicial warrant. But the laws do allow coordination with federal authorities on roughly 170 crimes if someone has been convicted. That’s where cooperation is permitted.”
He went on to criticize ICE enforcement for targeting immigrants whose only “crime” is living in the city. “These raids are cruel and inhumane and do not serve public safety,” Mamdani said, adding that such actions create anxiety for many New Yorkers rather than improving security.
Amid ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Donald Trump have maintained frequent communication since their November meeting at the White House, reportedly exchanging text messages at least twice a week, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Trump’s latest directive follows a series of high‑profile events, including ICE’s detention of a City Council staffer during what was expected to be a routine hearing on Long Island on Monday, and a large protest in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, where thousands marched in opposition to federal ICE operations and in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week.