Mayor Zohran Mamdani has circulated a draft letter urging owners of New York City parking garages and lots to deny federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the use of their property for staging enforcement operations.
The letter tells garage and lot owners to “make it known to ICE that it is not authorized to use your garages and lots.” It warns that allowing ICE to use a property as a “launching point for operations that have terrified and terrorized local communities” risks “placing your property, your employees, and your customers at the center” of those actions.
The move follows last week’s arrest of Oscar Belgal, an illegal immigrant, which drew renewed criticism from progressive activists directed at both Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and the owners of a Bronx parking garage that ICE agents have used as a staging site for enforcement work.
Mamdani has not moved to remove Tisch from her post. The letter to garage and lot owners comes amid broader pressure from allies on the left for the mayor to take a harder line against federal immigration enforcement in the city.
Federal law does not require state or local governments to cooperate with immigration enforcement, but legal observers note that a mayoral letter asking private businesses to actively deny ICE access to their property moves beyond simple non-cooperation and raises questions about whether it could be read as interference with federal law enforcement. Garages in New York City are subject to city regulations covering structural safety and building codes, including periodic engineering inspections, and many outdoor parking lots require licenses from the city Department of Consumer and Worker Protection — regulatory levers that could affect owners’ decisions on whether to comply with the mayor’s request.
This is not the first time public pressure has pushed a property operator to cut ties with ICE. In June, the Hudson River Park Trust ended its contract allowing ICE to use parking spaces at Pier 40 following public protests.
ICE’s current enforcement priorities include the arrest of migrants with convictions for violent crimes, including homicide and sexual assault, according to the agency’s stated operations. Critics of Mamdani’s letter argue that restricting ICE’s ability to stage operations efficiently could complicate enforcement against that population, though the mayor’s office has framed the letter as a response to community concerns about ICE’s presence and tactics.
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