New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced sharp criticism from officials in the Trump administration following his recent executive order reinforcing the city’s sanctuary laws. Issued on February 6, 2026, the order reiterates that municipal agencies must comply with existing regulations limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The executive order specifies that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are prohibited from using city-owned properties, including parking lots, as staging areas for their operations. Additionally, it emphasizes that ICE agents must present a judicial warrant to enter private property for arrests. Notably, the directive does not introduce new laws but serves to remind city employees of the current restrictions on collaboration with federal immigration efforts.
Despite this, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), expressed concerns about the implications of Mamdani’s order. In a statement, she claimed, “Mamdani will make New Yorkers less safe as a direct result of this policy.” McLaughlin further argued that the mayor should ensure that individuals in New York City’s custody, who are deemed criminal threats, are handed over to ICE before their release.
Mamdani responded by defending his executive order, asserting that sanctuary policies contribute to public safety. “These are policies that keep New Yorkers safe,” he stated. The mayor emphasized that the objective of his administration’s approach is to enhance security, countering claims from the DHS.
The escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and Mamdani’s office coincides with earlier remarks made by Donald Trump. During a speech to the Detroit Economic Club on January 13, 2026, Trump threatened to cut “significant” federal funding to sanctuary cities, including New York, stating that such policies protect criminals at the expense of public safety. He declared, “We’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary cities.”
New York City, along with its state, has been listed among various jurisdictions identified as sanctuary areas by the Department of Justice. In August 2025, the DOJ released an extensive list of these locations, which includes other cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Although Trump imposed a February 1 deadline for these cities to revoke their sanctuary statuses, there have been no visible repercussions to date.
Defenders of sanctuary laws argue that they promote public safety by allowing undocumented immigrants to report crimes and act as witnesses without the fear of deportation. The laws in New York City do allow for exceptions; local law enforcement agencies may share information with ICE if an individual has been convicted of a serious crime within the last five years or is on a federal terrorism watchlist, provided a judicial warrant is presented.
As the dialogue surrounding immigration enforcement intensifies, the implications of Mamdani’s order and the Trump administration’s response continue to shape the narrative on sanctuary policies in New York City. The situation underscores the ongoing debate between local governance and federal immigration enforcement, a topic that remains contentious in the current political landscape.
