New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has declared that the city will not accept a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows the federal government to strip deportation protections for Haitian and Syrian migrants.
In a video statement following the 6-3 ruling, Mamdani stated, “To have people who frankly taught the world about freedom have their own freedom put into jeopardy by the actions of a Supreme Court and federal administration — it is not only cruel, it’s not something we will ever accept.”
The Supreme Court determined that statutes governing "temporary protected status" (TPS) do not permit judicial review, meaning lower courts cannot intervene in the administration's decision to end deportation protections for over 6,000 Syrians and an estimated 350,000 Haitians living in the U.S. The ruling has been described by Mamdani as one of the largest attacks on immigrants in modern American history, potentially forcing thousands to lose their right to live and work in the country.
Following the decision, Mamdani joined immigration advocates, Governor Kathy Hochul, and State Attorney General Letitia James. In a statement released by City Hall, he emphasized the significant impact the decision will have on New York City's large Haitian and Syrian communities, stating, "This decision will cause enormous pain across the five boroughs."
Mamdani reassured New Yorkers with TPS, asserting, "New York City is your home. You belong here. We will not turn our backs on you." He pledged that the city administration would stand by immigrant New Yorkers, adding, "You will not face this cruelty alone."
The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs is expected to provide additional information and resources to those affected. City data indicates that approximately 115,000 Haitians and nearly 12,000 Syrians reside in New York City. TPS protections have been in place for Syrians since 2012, following the outbreak of civil war, and for Haitians since 2010, after a devastating earthquake. Similar action was taken by the Trump administration to remove TPS designation for Venezuelan migrants after a comparable Supreme Court ruling.