Courtesy NYC.Gov
NYC Mayor Signs Order Strengthening Sanctuary Laws
By MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order on February 6 reinforcing New York City’s sanctuary policies and launching a large-scale immigrant rights campaign, announcing the measures before hundreds of faith leaders at his administration’s first annual interfaith breakfast.
The event at the New York Public Library in Bryant Park brought together nearly 400 religious and community leaders from across the five boroughs. The breakfast, an annual tradition first established in 2002 under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is intended to foster dialogue between City Hall and faith communities. This year’s program included prayers, musical performances and remarks from clergy representing multiple faith traditions, with a strong focus on immigration and federal enforcement actions.
Mamdani framed the order as a response to escalating immigration crackdowns nationwide and said the city would strengthen protections for immigrant residents while limiting cooperation with federal authorities.
“Across this country, day after day, we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience. Masked agents, paid by our own tax dollars, violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors,” Mamdani said. “That is why this morning, I am signing an executive order that will strengthen our city’s protection of our fellow New Yorkers from abusive immigration enforcement. This order is a sweeping reaffirmation of our commitment to our immigrant neighbors.”
The executive order, known as Executive Order 13, establishes an interagency response committee to coordinate city actions during immigration-related crises and creates a centralized structure for communication across agencies. City officials said the committee is designed to ensure a whole-of-government response in the event of major federal immigration actions or other emergencies affecting immigrant communities.
The order also strengthens privacy protections intended to safeguard personal information collected by city agencies and requires audits to ensure compliance with existing sanctuary laws. Under the directive, information gathered by city agencies for city purposes cannot be shared with federal immigration authorities except when required by law. Each agency has 14 days to appoint a privacy officer, conduct training and certify compliance with rules limiting information sharing.
Executive Order 13 further states that federal immigration authorities may not enter city property without a judicial warrant. That includes schools, shelters, hospitals, parking facilities and other public spaces. Core agencies including the NYPD, Department of Correction, Department of Probation, Administration for Children’s Services and Department of Social Services must review their internal policies governing interactions with federal immigration authorities and publicly disclose any resulting changes.
“As ICE fosters a culture of suspicion and fear, let this city of strangers set an example for how to make the sorrows of others our own,” Mamdani said. “Let us offer a new path — one of defiance through compassion.”
Alongside the executive action, Mamdani announced a citywide “Know Your Rights” push aimed at educating residents about their legal protections during encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The campaign will distribute nearly 32,000 flyers and booklets in 10 languages through faith institutions across the city, targeting communities most affected by immigration enforcement.
The materials outline key rights, including the right to remain silent, the right to speak with an attorney and the right to request an interpreter. They also explain New York City’s sanctuary laws and provide information about the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs legal support hotline, which offers referrals to immigration legal assistance.
“We have also prepared 30,000 guides to New Yorkers’ rights in ten languages spoken by some of the most heavily targeted populations in our city, teaching our neighbors what to do if ICE comes for them,” Mamdani said. “I urge you to share these with your congregants — even those who are citizens, even those whom you think ICE may not target.”
Faith leaders in attendance were encouraged to distribute the materials widely and help ensure immigrant residents understand their rights when interacting with federal authorities. Mamdani told attendees that protecting vulnerable communities is a shared moral responsibility that extends beyond government.
He described the order as part of a broader effort to maintain trust between immigrant New Yorkers and city institutions, saying residents should not fear accessing services because of their status. City officials said the measures are intended to reinforce New York’s longstanding sanctuary framework and signal continued resistance to federal overreach in local immigration matters.
“ICE is more than a rogue agency — it is a manifestation of the abuse of power,” Mamdani said. “And it is also new. It was founded only in 2002. Four Mayors ago, it did not exist. Its wrongs need not be treated as inevitable or inherited. In fact, there is no reforming something so rotten and base.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosts the first annual Interfaith Breakfast of his administration at the New York Public Library on Friday, February 6, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
