New York City Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 13 at his administration’s first interfaith breakfast meeting on Friday, February 6th, reaffirming the immigrant protection measures under the sanctuary city framework policy of New York City. The order also initiated a citywide “Rights Guide” advocacy campaign to distribute nearly 32,000 leaflets and brochures in 10 languages to religious institutions, introducing basic rights for individuals when interacting with federal immigration enforcement officers.
The focus of the order, as outlined by the Mayor’s Office, includes limiting the access of federal immigration enforcement into municipal facilities, strengthening resident data and privacy protection, requiring multiple key city agencies to inventory and audit internal policies related to interactions with federal immigration authorities, and establishing an interagency response committee to address potential escalation of federal immigration actions or other major events. The city government stated that nearly 400 religious and community leaders from the five boroughs attended the event.
According to the announcement from the Mayor’s Office, the executive order mandates city agencies to assign a “Privacy Officer” within 14 days, complete training, and certify compliance with the restrictions on information sharing as outlined in the sanctuary policy. The order reiterated that without a judicial search warrant, federal officials are not allowed to enter city properties including schools, shelters, hospitals, parking lots, and more.
Simultaneously, the “Rights Guide” materials will be available in Chinese (Mandarin), English, Spanish, and other languages, covering options such as the right to remain silent, requesting to see a judicial order, seeking legal assistance, requesting translation services, among others. The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) hotline information for legal support will also be provided.
During his speech at the event, Mayor Mamdani linked the intensified national immigration enforcement to constitutional rights issues, urging religious leaders to assist in advocacy, describing it as an act of “resistance with compassion.” The event was also opened with remarks from the President and CEO of the New York Public Library’s Main Branch, Tony Marx, at the NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, where he discussed the library’s commitment to defending the public’s access to knowledge and history in the current atmosphere. He also highlighted the importance of supporting human creativity based on credible human knowledge achievements amidst the proliferation of AI-generated content.