New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji is scheduled to travel to Syria and Lebanon next month, accompanied by a security detail from the New York Police Department. The trip, beginning September 20, will involve travel to countries currently listed on the U.S. State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list due to dangerous conditions.

A source familiar with the security detail stated that Duwaji requested NYPD protection for the trip. This follows a trip last month where she traveled overseas without police security.

Mamdani’s office confirmed the trip and the accompanying NYPD security detail. "Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady’s security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon," said mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec.

Duwaji, an artist and Syrian-American, has stated ties to the region. Her parents are from Damascus. The mayor’s office did not provide further details regarding the trip's purpose beyond visiting family.

Critics have raised concerns about the deployment of NYPD officers. Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, argued that sending officers to these regions could place them in danger, stating, "We’re putting the police officers in danger. They will be viewed as the bad guys. These are war zones."

Duwaji’s past activities include attending a feminist art residency in Beirut and co-hosting a pro-Palestinian spiritual retreat in Corsica. She was also an artist-in-residence at a workshop in Mallorca last month. Her office stated she was not accompanied by NYPD officers on that trip.

Duwaji has publicly expressed pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel views. She has faced scrutiny for past social media posts, including sentiments against Tel Aviv and liking posts that questioned the nature of Hamas's actions on October 7, 2023. In April, she apologized for the "hurt" caused by some of her social media posts but did not directly address the content critical of Israel. Mayor Mamdani has defended his wife, characterizing her as a "private person."

Duwaji has also been involved in activist campaigns, including creating artwork for the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America's campaign supporting political candidates critical of Israel and advocating for a bill targeting charities that support "Israeli settler violence."