On November 2, New York City Mayor Mamdani sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, urging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to cease using all city parking lots as bases for immigration enforcement actions without the city government’s permission. In a firm warning to the federal government, he stated that the city would take legal action if ICE continued to utilize city-owned land for such purposes.
In his correspondence addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Mayor Mamdani emphasized that the city has never authorized ICE to conduct immigration enforcement operations on city-owned property. He insisted that the federal agency immediately issue clear directives to its enforcement officers, prohibiting them from gathering or executing immigration enforcement tasks in city-owned parking lots.
The letter was also sent to ICE Acting Director David J. Venturella and Kenneth Genalo, the director of ICE’s New York office.
According to information from the mayor’s office, there have been reports of ICE personnel parking vehicles and holding meetings in several city-owned parking lots, including one near Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and multiple locations along 111th Street adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. Notably, the parking area in Queens is situated near a city-operated daycare center and various cultural institutions that attract hundreds of children and families daily.
“ICE has no right to use our land as a base for tearing families apart. This applies to every park and every parking lot owned by our city. Such unauthorized use of city property must cease immediately,” Mayor Mamdani stated in his announcement. “Today, I have directed the Department of Homeland Security to order ICE personnel to vacate city parking lots, and should they return, we will meet them in court.”
In addition to addressing the federal government, Mamdani’s administration announced on the same day that the New York City Parks Department would implement new operational guidelines. These guidelines will govern how frontline staff should respond when confronted with attempts by ICE or other non-local law enforcement officers to access parks and city-owned lands.
Under the new policy, if federal law enforcement personnel request entry into areas of the park that are not open to the public, park staff must verify their identity and contact the department’s legal counsel. The legal team will then review any judicial search warrants or other legal documents presented by the officials.
Parks department employees are prohibited from independently assessing the validity of documents or engaging in physical or verbal confrontations with enforcement officers. Should unauthorized individuals enter restricted areas, staff are instructed to notify the police while ensuring their personal safety and to document the situation.
New York Governor Hochul expressed her support for Mayor Mamdani’s initiative.
In contrast to the mayor’s position, a spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security stated that ICE operations in public parking lots are in accordance with federal law and are considered standard practice for law enforcement agencies. The spokesperson also refuted Mayor Mamdani’s criticisms regarding federal enforcement actions, indicating a sharp division between city and federal authorities on this matter.