Mamdani threatens lawsuit over ICE use of city parking lots
The mayor accuses federal agents of using municipal spaces as bases for immigration enforcement, while the Department of Homeland Security defends the practice as legally authorized.
By Giulia Marshall ·
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared on Monday that the city will pursue legal action if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to use municipal parking lots as operational hubs. The announcement marks a new escalation in the conflict between the city administration and the Trump administration over the scope of sanctuary policies.
In a letter addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, acting ICE Director David J. Venturella, and New York office head Kenneth Genalo, the mayor demanded explicit instructions for agents to stop using city-owned land. The city’s office stated that federal officers have parked vehicles and held meetings in unstaffed municipal lots, including locations in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and along 111th Street near Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.
Mamdani argued that federal agents lack the right to use city property to separate families. “ICE no tiene derecho a utilizar nuestras propiedades como base para separar familias,” he said in a statement. “Eso incluye cada parque y cada estacionamiento que pertenece a esta Ciudad. Si siguen regresando, nos veremos en los tribunales.”
The Department of Homeland Security rejected the claim, asserting that its presence in these spaces is authorized by federal law. In a response published by ABC7, the agency argued that the use of public spaces is a standard practice for law enforcement. The department also criticized the mayor, suggesting Mamdani should thank agents for their security work rather than complain about their methods.
The dispute follows a tense week in which Mayor Mamdani and over 100 elected officials asked private parking operators to deny access to ICE. This request came after a shooting in Marble Hill on October 8, where an agent shot Oscar Belgal, 28, while his five-year-old son was in the car. Federal officials defended the shooting by saying Belgal struck official vehicles, a version of events Reuters said it could not independently verify.
Governor Kathy Hochul supported the mayor’s stance, warning that no family should fear separation while visiting parks or walking in their neighborhoods. City legal advisor Steven Banks confirmed the city is prepared to file a suit if the use of the land continues. This legal push follows a October 15 ruling by federal judge Ramón E. Reyes Jr., who dismissed a federal challenge to New York’s sanctuary laws, finding the government lacked standing to sue.
