NEW YORK—State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani faces a political challenge from six progressive advocacy groups that bankrolled his 2024 re-election campaign. These allies delivered a joint letter today demanding immediate legislative action to curb NYPD cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They cited a 30 percent rise in ICE arrests across New York City since Jan. 2025, directly attributing the increase to current police information-sharing protocols.
The groups, including the New York Immigration Coalition, Make the Road New York and the Immigrant Defense Project, collectively contributed more than $750,000 in direct campaign funds and independent expenditures for Mamdani's last race. Their endorsements also mobilize thousands of grassroots volunteers, providing ground support in his Queens district. This financial and organizational backing represents a substantial portion of Mamdani's political capital.
The proposed legislation would enact new guidelines, prohibiting NYPD officers from sharing arrest data with ICE without a judicial warrant. It also seeks to block all city resources from assisting federal immigration sweeps, a practice that led to 1,200 detentions in New York City over the past year, according to the groups' report. The policy would create a firewall between local law enforcement and federal immigration agents, a key demand for immigrant rights advocates.
Mamdani's office acknowledged receipt of the letter but has not issued a public statement. His political position is complex, requiring a balance between his progressive donor base and the broader Democratic caucus in Albany. Many within the caucus have benefited from donations from police unions, which generally oppose any measures that limit law enforcement discretion. Police Benevolent Association PACs alone contributed more than $100,000 to New York State Assembly candidates in the first quarter of this year.
The pressure campaign puts Mamdani on a tight deadline. The groups said they would re-evaluate their endorsements and financial support for the 2026 election cycle if no bill advances by the end of the current legislative session in June. This move signals a potential defection of political and financial backing, leaving Mamdani vulnerable.
