Mayor Mamdani warns of lawsuit after ICE uses city parking lots
The City of New York claims federal agents have taken public lots in Queens without permission, prompting a legal threat in a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told federal immigration officials on Monday that the city will sue if they continue to use public parking lots for operations without permission. The letter specifically cites the use of a lot at the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
In the letter, Mamdani stated that the use of city property is unauthorized and illegal. He warned that if agents continue to use the lots, the city will take legal action to stop the commandeering of the property.
The threat of litigation follows a month of escalating tensions. In October, Mamdani sent a similar letter to owners of private parking facilities, asking them to stop allowing agents to use their garages. More than 100 New York elected officials signed that earlier letter.
Recent weeks have seen frequent activity in the Corona and Elmhurst neighborhoods. Brian Romero, a soon-to-be Assemblymember, reported seeing two people arrested by agents in Elmhurst last week. He said one local resident was maced and thrown to the ground during the operation.
Mamdani maintained that the federal government never asked the city for approval to use the public lots. He stated clearly that the city does not authorize this use of its property. The mayor added that the city values its immigrant communities and wants to ensure they can navigate the city without fear.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to the letter by saying it is not slowing down its operations in the five boroughs. A DHS spokesperson argued that federal law fully authorizes the use of the parking lots. The spokesperson also suggested that Mayor Mamdani should be grateful to officers for cleaning up the streets since he would not.
State Senate candidate Jessica González-Rojas, who signed the earlier letter to private lot owners, supported the mayor's move. She pointed to reports of vehicles near a city-run preschool and the Hall of Science as alarming for local families. She noted that if she wins Tuesday's election, the Hall of Science lot will fall within her new state senate district.
Local officials had previously raised concerns about the Bulova Corporate Center on Astoria Boulevard. While some said it allowed agents to use its lot, the building's owners denied the claim. The current dispute centers on city-owned lots and the lack of formal authorization for their use.
