New York Officials Urge Private Parking Lots to Ban ICE Operations
Over 100 elected officials, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have signed a letter asking private parking lot owners in New York City to refuse access to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Over 100 elected officials, led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have signed a letter asking private parking lot owners in New York City to refuse access to U.S.
· Updated
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and more than 100 New York state elected officials are calling on private parking lot and garage owners across the five boroughs to prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from using their properties. The officials released a letter Friday urging owners not to rent, lend, or otherwise make their property available to ICE for immigration enforcement staging grounds.
The letter highlights a recent incident where ICE officers shot and wounded an immigrant in Marble Hill, near a parking lot that local officials stated ICE had been using as a staging area. The signatories emphasized that such use of private property can place owners, employees, and customers at the center of controversial enforcement actions.
Among the officials who signed the letter are New York's two senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, and a majority of the City Council. The initiative targets the use of private lots, including specific instances on Northern Boulevard in Queens and Morton Street in Lower Manhattan, where protests have previously occurred.
This push follows actions by other entities, such as the owner of the Morton Street garage, who ended their contract with ICE after local protests. The Hudson River Park Trust also let its parking contract with the Department of Homeland Security expire in June after public outcry. The city government has also taken steps to ensure its own properties are not used for federal immigration enforcement, in line with sanctuary laws.
FAQ
What are New York officials asking parking lot owners to do?
They are urging private parking lot and garage owners to ban U.S.
Why are officials making this request?
The request is partly in response to a recent shooting incident involving ICE officers and the agency's alleged use of private parking lots as staging grounds for enforcement activities.
