Mamdani declares war on ICE: New York will block its ‘abusive’ raids

Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched an unprecedented political offensive this Friday against the practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which he said is “more than a rogue agency, it is a manifestation of the abuse of power” in their immigration raids.

At an event held at the New York Public Library before religious and community leaders, Mamdani signed an executive order raising barriers to federal operations within the city. He described the measure as a legal shield for millions of residents, regardless of their immigration status.

“This order is a sweeping reaffirmation of our commitment to our immigrant neighbors,” Mamdani said, pointing to a climate of growing tension between federal agencies and local governments. The order states that ICE agents may not enter city-managed properties such as schools, hospitals, or shelters without a valid judicial warrant, going further than traditional federal requirements.

Mamdani declares war on ICE

The document also requires municipal agencies to audit and revise their internal policies regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It appoints privacy officers within each department to safeguard residents’ sensitive data.

This initiative is accompanied by a large-scale public education campaign titled “Know Your Rights,” which includes the distribution of more than 30,000 flyers in multiple languages to inform New Yorkers of their rights during encounters with immigration authorities.

The federal response was swift. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) labeled the order a threat to public safety, arguing that cooperation with ICE is “key to removing criminal illegal aliens” and limiting the government’s ability to detain individuals poses a genuine danger to the community.

Civil rights advocates and community leaders, however, praised the mayor’s move as a powerful show of solidarity with the city’s vast immigrant population. For many, the order marks a turning point in the resistance of major metropolitan areas to stricter federal immigration policies.

As the national debate intensifies, New York is positioning itself as a stronghold of local policies that seek to balance public safety with the protection of fundamental rights, in a country deeply divided over how to manage migration in 2026.

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