{"id":515344,"date":"2026-01-14T11:08:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/515344\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T11:08:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:08:22","slug":"mayor-vows-to-defend-nyc-sanctuary-policies-as-trump-announces-feb-1-funding-cuts-amnewyork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/515344\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor vows to defend NYC sanctuary policies as Trump announces Feb. 1 funding cuts \u2013 amNewYork"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, Jan. 13, marks the 13th day of Zohran Mamdani\u2019s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office<\/a>\u00a0as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city\u2019s finances. Here\u2019s a summary of what the mayor did today.<\/p>\n

Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> on Tuesday vowed to defend the city\u2019s sanctuary policies after President Donald Trump announced that, starting Feb. 1, the federal government will stop sending payments to states and cities with laws that set limits on how local authorities cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur values and our laws are not bargaining chips,\u201d Mamdani said in a post on X<\/a>. \u201cWe will always defend New Yorkers, even in the face of federal threats to withhold funding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters<\/a> later on\u00a0Tuesday evening, Hizzoner said he had reached out to President Trump directly to express \u201csharp opposition,\u201d but he had\u00a0yet to hear back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many threats that are made to New York City on a regular basis, and I am confident in our city\u2019s ability to fight those threats back. And we\u2019ve also seen, whether it be in the courts or whether it be beyond that, our ability to win those threats,\u201d the mayor said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Detroit<\/a> earlier in the day, President Trump railed against sanctuary jurisdictions, claiming they \u201cdo everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens \u2014 and it breeds fraud and crime and all of the other problems that come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The announcement applies to states and cities with sanctuary policies, including New York, and is part of the administration\u2019s broader effort to tie federal funding to cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, though no further information on the cuts has been shared by the White House.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city is already facing a federal lawsuit<\/a> filed by the Trump administration in July 2025, challenging its sanctuary laws. The case is ongoing.<\/a><\/p>\n

Under the city\u2019s sanctuary policies<\/a>, the NYPD and city agencies are restricted on when they can honor ICE detainer requests, generally allowing them only in cases involving serious crimes or valid judicial warrants. The rules do not prevent federal agents from making arrests on their own, nor do they shield immigrants from local criminal prosecution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The policies, which date back to the Ed Koch era in the late 1980s, are designed to let immigrants access city services and report crimes without fear of automatic federal immigration action.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Department of Justice released a list of 11 jurisdictions<\/a> it considers sanctuary jurisdictions, saying their policies or practices impede federal immigration enforcement. The list includes states, counties and cities that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, refuse certain ICE detainer requests, or restrict the sharing of information with federal officials. New York State and New York City are among the jurisdictions named.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Trump\u2019s latest directive follows a series of high\u2011profile events, including ICE\u2019s detention of a City Council staffer<\/a> during what was expected to be a routine hearing on Long Island on Monday, and a large protest in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday<\/a>, where thousands marched in opposition to federal ICE operations and in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week.<\/p>\n

Amid those ongoing tensions over immigration enforcement, Mayor Mamdani and President Trump have maintained frequent communication since their November meeting at the White House, reportedly exchanging text messages at least twice a week, according to reports. <\/a>Asked about their relationship on Tuesday evening, Mamdani downplayed his connection to the President, saying the pair have only exchanged \u201ca handful of texts\u201d since the Oval Office meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose texts, the conversations that we\u2019ve had, they always come back to New York City and the importance of delivering for the people who call this city home,\u201d he said.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

At an unrelated Monday press briefing, Mamdani was asked whether the city would cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security on issues like gang or terrorist activity, and whether he believed the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s actions over the past year had improved safety in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy guiding principle is to follow the law,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cNew York City\u2019s sanctuary policies prohibit coordination with ICE agents on city property without a judicial warrant. But the laws do allow coordination with federal authorities on roughly 170 crimes if someone has been convicted. That\u2019s where cooperation is permitted.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to criticize ICE enforcement for targeting immigrants whose only \u201ccrime\u201d is living in the city. \u201cThese raids are cruel and inhumane and do not serve public safety,\u201d Mamdani said, adding that such actions create anxiety for many New Yorkers rather than improving security.<\/p>\n

Appointment: Shifting gears for taxi and for-hire drivers<\/p>\n

At a bustling LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday night, Mayor Mamdani announced the nomination of transportation policy veteran Midori Valdivia as the next Chair and Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), signaling a potential turning point for drivers and the city\u2019s for-hire transportation industry, as well as a bumpy road ahead for autonomous vehicles in NYC.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Valdivia previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the TLC, where she oversaw the creation of the largest wheelchair-accessible taxi fleet in the country at the time. She has also served as Chief of Staff to the MTA Chair & CEO, Senior Advisor at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and is currently Chief Operating Officer of the Coro New York Leadership Center, the city\u2019s premier civic leadership training organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe knows this city\u2019s transit system inside and out, and she\u2019s fought for the workers who keep it moving every single day,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cFrom City Hall, we will deliver meaningful change in the lives of the working people too often forgotten by our politics, and in the day-to-day existences of the taxi drivers who deserve a forceful champion at the TLC. That champion is Midori Valdivia, who I am so proud to nominate today to be the Commissioner and Chair of the TLC.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Midori Valdivia, nominee for Chair and Commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, speaks alongside Mayor Mamdani at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday night Photo by NYC Mayors Office\/YouTube<\/p>\n

The nomination comes amid a long history of challenges for New York\u2019s taxi and for-hire drivers, from crushing medallion debt to grueling, high-risk work. As an Assemblymember in 2021, Mamdani joined a 15-day hunger strike<\/a> in solidarity with drivers, who were negotiating with the city and private asset managers for debt relief after more than a month of protests calling on former Mayor Bill de Blasio to act.<\/p>\n

Adding to these struggles, drivers fought for nearly two decades for basic due process protections. The TLC changed its post-arrest license suspension process after courts found it unconstitutional in 2019. In March 2025, approximately 20,000 TLC drivers reached a landmark $140 million class-action settlement<\/a> over the commission\u2019s practice of suspending licenses based on arrests without fair hearings.<\/p>\n

At the forefront of advocating for fair pay, worker protections, and due process has been the New York Taxi Workers Alliance (NYTWA), the city\u2019s lead organizing force for TLC drivers. Now, the Alliance sees Valdivia\u2019s nomination as a chance to finally cement those victories into lasting change at City Hall. Bhairavi Desai, Executive Director of the NYTWA, framed nomination as a signal that the new administration is ready to put drivers\u2019 rights at the center of policy during Tuesday night\u2019s press conference.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur brother, Mayor Mamdani, promised to stand with drivers in our fight for humane and just working conditions. For years, he fought alongside us in the trenches long before City Hall became his new office,\u201d she said. \u201cToday, he delivers on that promise by nominating a public servant who has done the grind for years to work in transportation and, along that path, has been a champion of workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a workforce without whom this city does not move. A strong TLC, one that champions its licensees, regulates to protect this workforce, stands up to corporate greed and even competing political pressures between and from the city and the state, can ensure labor with dignity and rights, which the drivers so justly deserve,\u201d Desai continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If confirmed, Valdivia will replace David Do, nominated by former mayor Eric Adams in 2022. Both Mamdani and representatives from the Taxi Workers Alliance emphasized that her leadership will prioritize worker protections, enforcement of regulations on companies, and equitable treatment in the face of app-based corporate power.<\/p>\n

For Valdivia, the nomination is both a professional and personal achievement. \u201cI started my career at airports and the Port Authority, seeing firsthand the dedication of drivers who get millions of New Yorkers where they need to go safely every day,\u201d she said. Her nomination now moves to the City Council for confirmation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf confirmed, I commit to an agenda that works to provide a for-hire economy that serves all New Yorkers. Putting people first must be at the top of our agenda, whether they are drivers, passengers, or small business owners, and I will dedicate myself to those who upheld the iconic cultural institutions in New York City during a time of great change,\u201d Valdivia said.<\/p>\n

The next challenge for the industry comes from the rise of autonomous vehicles.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Waymo, the self-driving car company, received the city\u2019s first-ever test permit under Adams and has been testing autonomous vehicles on city streets<\/a>, with trained safety drivers behind the wheel, since September 2025, including in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Adding to the policy landscape, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday during her State of the State<\/a> that she plans to introduce legislation to expand the state\u2019s autonomous vehicle pilot program, allowing for the limited deployment of commercial for-hire autonomous passenger vehicles outside NYC. According to Hochul\u2019s office, companies seeking to operate must demonstrate local support for AV deployment and \u201cadhere to the highest safety standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Mamdani declined to comment on Hochul\u2019s plans and did not say whether any further testing permits would be issued under his administration, only that he takes the arrival of autonomous vehicles \u201cvery seriously,\u201d and that driver protections will remain central.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c[I] will always make sure that our policy and our decision-making is focused on the drivers who are here alongside me, in front of me, behind me, to keep our city moving,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like the NYTWA, \u00a0the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) and the Transport Workers Union have raised serious concerns about the rapid advance of autonomous vehicle technology, citing both safety risks and the potential loss of thousands of driving jobs.<\/p>\n

Brendan Sexton, president of the IDG, wrote in amNY on Monday<\/a> that the push for fully autonomous for-hire vehicles could displace tens of thousands of drivers who provide essential transportation to millions of New Yorkers every day. He warned that the \u201cdriverless future\u201d should not come at the expense of the city\u2019s working families, many of whom are immigrants relying on flexible incomes to support households.<\/p>\n

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