Mamdani Threatens Lawsuit Over ICE Use of NYC Parking Lots

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has threatened to sue the Trump administration if Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues using city-owned parking lots to stage immigration enforcement operations. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and two ICE officials, Mamdani called the reported use unauthorized and illegal and said the city would go to court to stop it.

What happened

According to Fox News Digital, which first reported the letter, Mamdani sent it to Mullin, acting ICE Director David Venturella and ICE New York field office Director Kenneth Genalo. The mayor wrote that he was “deeply troubled” by reports that ICE agents had used New York City property to stage enforcement operations.

The letter names specific locations: a parking lot at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, and lots along 111th Street on the west side of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The Queens site sits next to a city-run preschool and several cultural institutions that the letter says welcome hundreds of children and families daily.

Mamdani said ICE has not secured any authorization from the city to use the lots and demanded that the agency immediately instruct its agents to stop using city property for enforcement. He warned that continued use would prompt New York City to take legal action to prevent what he called an unlawful commandeering of city property.

The letter follows an October push in which Mamdani and more than 100 elected officials, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, asked private parking lot owners not to rent or lend their property to ICE as a staging area. Fox News Digital said it had contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment; no response was reported.

Why it matters

The dispute tests how far a city can go to control access to its own property when federal immigration agents use it. Mamdani’s letter frames the issue as property rights and public safety rather than immigration policy alone, arguing that enforcement activity near parks and a preschool sows fear among residents.

This suggests the conflict could move from letters to court, where the central question would likely be whether the city can legally bar federal agents from unstaffed public lots. The source does not say whether ICE has responded or whether the city has filed anything yet.

Key facts at a glance

What this means for you

• If you park at Van Cortlandt Park or the Flushing Meadows Corona Park lots, the letter says these are city property reserved for park users; the city claims ICE has no authorization there.
• The threat is legal, not immediate: no lawsuit has been filed according to the source, so current access rules are unchanged for now.
• Private lot owners were already asked in October not to make space available to ICE; that request was voluntary, not a legal ban.
• People who rely on the Queens preschool and nearby cultural sites may see increased attention around those lots while the dispute continues.

Frequently asked questions

Did Mamdani actually file a lawsuit?

No. The source describes a letter threatening legal action if ICE continues using city lots. No filing is reported.

Which parking lots are involved?

A lot at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx and lots along 111th Street on the west side of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, per the mayor’s letter.

What does ICE say?

The source does not include a response from ICE or DHS. Fox News Digital said it reached out to DHS for comment.

Has the city taken similar steps before?

Yes. In October, Mamdani and more than 100 elected officials, including Schumer and Jeffries, asked private parking lot owners not to rent or lend property to ICE.

What to watch next

Whether DHS or ICE responds to the letter, and whether New York City follows through with a court filing. The source does not indicate a timeline for either.