NEW YORK (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is leading a coalition of more than 100 elected officials urging private parking lot and garage owners across New York City to refuse U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests to use their properties as staging areas for enforcement operations.<\/p>\n
In a letter sent Friday, Mamdani joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and 109 other elected officials in urging property owners not to rent, lend or otherwise make their facilities available to ICE.<\/p>\n
The appeal comes one week after federal agents shot a 28-year-old man during an immigration enforcement operation in Marble Hill, according to city officials. The mayor’s office says ICE agents had reportedly been staging from a nearby private parking lot before the incident.<\/p>\n
“Do not rent your property to ICE. Do not lend it to them. Tell them they are not welcome,” Mamdani said in a statement announcing the letter.<\/p>\n
Officials argue that while city laws limit ICE’s use of city-owned property, those restrictions do not apply to privately owned garages and parking lots. The coalition is now asking owners and operators across the five boroughs to voluntarily deny the agency access.<\/p>\n
The letter points to several locations where officials say ICE has staged operations, including a private lot near Marble Hill, parking lots in Queens and a garage in Manhattan. City leaders cited a downtown Manhattan garage that reportedly removed ICE vehicles after complaints from neighbors as an example for other operators to follow.<\/p>\n
Supporters of the effort say immigrant communities have grown fearful of routine activities, including commuting to work and running errands, amid increased immigration enforcement operations.<\/p>\n
Read the full letter HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n * Get Eyewitness News Delivered<\/a> <\/p>\n * More New York City news<\/a><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/p>\n * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts<\/a> <\/p>\n * Follow us on YouTube<\/a> <\/p>\n
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News<\/p>\n