NEW YORK (PIX11) – Mayor Zohran Mamdani is looking to strengthen New York’s status as a sanctuary city and is looking to the faith community to make that happen.
His message came on Friday morning at the main branch of the New York Public Library, where he was hosting his first interfaith breakfast.
“Let us offer a new path, one of defiance through compassion,” Mamdani said. “In doing so, we can offer something more expansive than a rejection of atrocity. We can rely on our faith to offer an embrace of one another.”
Mamdani then signed an executive order reiterating New York City’s Sanctuary Status, which requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to obtain a judicial warrant before entering city property– and prohibits city officials from cooperating with civil immigration enforcement.
The order also tells all city agencies to review their policies to ensure they are adhering to the Sanctuary law. It establishes an interagency committee to coordinate if ICE escalates, as it did in Minneapolis.
“ICE is more than a rogue agency; it is a manifestation of an abuse of power,” Mamdani said.
The moves stand in stark contrast to those of the previous Mayor, Eric Adams, who often raised concerns about the sanctuary city law and sought to cooperate with federal immigration officials when possible. On the way out the door, religious leaders were offered “know your rights” pamphlets in various languages to distribute in their communities.
Conservatives and Trump immigration officials have often criticized “know your rights” materials and messages that Democrats have been making recently.
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