Mamdani orders city to block ICE from public lots

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared on Sunday that his administration will sue the Department of Homeland Security if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue to occupy city-owned parking areas. The mayor sent a formal letter to the Trump administration demanding the removal of federal officers from municipal property.

City officials reported that ICE agents have staged operations in the Bronx and Queens since July. The mayor’s letter identified two specific locations where agents reportedly parked vehicles and held meetings. One site is located in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The second site sits on 111th Street near Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, adjacent to a city-run preschool and the New York Hall of Science.

In response to the federal presence, the city issued new directives to Parks Department employees. Staff are now instructed to deny entry to ICE officers in non-public lots unless the agents present a judicial warrant. Employees must notify city lawyers before interacting with federal personnel and are told to avoid physical or verbal altercations with the agents.

Mamdani argued that federal law does not grant ICE the right to use municipal property as a base for operations. The mayor stated that the unauthorized use of city assets must stop immediately. He told the Department of Homeland Security to order its agents off the lots, warning that the city will pursue court action if the federal government does not comply.

The Department of Homeland Security rejected the mayor’s premise. A department spokesperson stated that ICE’s presence in public parking lots is fully authorized under federal law. The spokesperson described the practice as standard for law enforcement agencies nationwide and suggested Mayor Mamdani should be grateful for the officers’ work cleaning up the streets.