AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Mayor of New York has signed a new executive order imposing additional restrictions on cooperation between city agencies and federal immigration authorities, a step that has triggered widespread political and media reactions across the United States due to his explicit reference to Islamic teachings.
Zahran Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, speaking on Friday morning at an interfaith breakfast attended by around 400 religious leaders from the city’s five boroughs, referred to the story of the Hijrah of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h), describing migration as a central concept in Islam. He said the narrative underscores the obligation to support migrants and asylum seekers.
The mayor went on to cite verses from the Holy Quran and a narration from the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h), before signing Executive Order No. 13. Under the order, officers of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are barred from entering city-managed facilities, including schools, hospitals, shelters, and municipal parking areas, without a judicial warrant. City employees are also prohibited from sharing residents’ personal information with federal authorities, except where legally mandated.
According to the directive, all city agencies are required within 14 days to appoint a data protection officer and begin mandatory training on the implementation of sanctuary city policies. The order also provides for the establishment of a special task force to manage emergency situations related to the enforcement of immigration laws, along with an oversight mechanism to assess agency compliance.
The move comes amid longstanding tensions between New York City and the federal government, particularly during the presidency of Donald Trump, when federal authorities repeatedly criticized the city’s sanctuary policies and threatened to withhold federal funding. Some Republican lawmakers have criticized the mayor, arguing that linking public policy to religious teachings violates the principle of separation of religion and government.
In contrast, immigrant rights organizations have welcomed the decision, describing it as a meaningful step toward protecting the city’s immigrant residents. New York City officials said that alongside the implementation of the order, tens of thousands of multilingual brochures outlining immigrants’ rights when interacting with federal agents will be distributed across the city.
The new executive order marks a fresh phase in the ongoing dispute between New York’s local government and federal authorities over immigration powers and, according to observers, could carry significant legal and political implications.
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