The New York Public Library was filled with hundreds of religious leaders from across the five boroughs Friday morning who came together to share breakfast.
Mayor Mamdani received a standing ovation, as he announced he will be signing an executive order to protect immigrants from of ICE, the mayor said.
“Ice cannot enter New York City property without a judicial warrant,” the mayor said.
The order will establish an interagency response committee to respond to crisis ICE-related matters and create a centralized mechanism to coordinate communication across agencies.
"Let us offer a new path, one of diffance through compassion." the mayor said.
The order will also enhance privacy protections to avoid people's data from being unlawfully accessed by the federal government and a public safety audit report to ensure essential city agencies comply with city laws.
"That means our schools, our shelters and our hospitals, that means we will protect new Yorkers private data from being unlawfully accessed by the federal government," said the mayor.
The Department of Homeleand Security condemed the orders.
“Secretary Noem and ICE leadership are urgently calling on Mamdani to agree to release criminals in New York City’s custody to ICE before they are released back onto the Big Apple’s streets to victimize and prey on more Americans. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities," aid Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
The inaugural interfaith breakfast was first held in 2002, established by then Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It’s grown to become an annual tradition, fostering conversation between City Hall and faith communities.
The program featured two musical performances, prayers and remarks from Dr.Sheikh Faiyaz Jaffer from the Islamic Center at NYU, Rabbi Emily Cohen from West End Synagogue and Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz, from Good Shepherd Church.
The speakers themes centered around immigration and customs enforcement operations across the country.
“The demands are clear, to abolish ICE that disappears and kills our brothers and sisters,” said Reverend Juan Carlos Ruiz, who is a son of Mexican Immigrants.
This years sponsors included the New York Public Library, T-Mobile Government, Islamic Relief USA, Christian Culture Center, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, New York Jewish Agenda, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, New York Disaster Interfaith Services, Trinity Church NYC, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the Nexus Project, Municipal Credit Union and Affinity By Molina Healthcare, Inc.