New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani vowed to keep the city's status as an immigration sanctuary city on Sunday, just days after his friendly meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.
Mamdani confirmed his stance on the issue during a speech at a church in the Bronx on Sunday, telling parishioners that he and Trump did not see eye-to-eye on the issue.
"I shared with the president directly that New Yorkers want to follow the laws of our city, and the laws of our city say that, in our sanctuary city policies, city government can be in touch with the federal government on around 170 serious crimes. The concern comes from beyond those crimes, the many New Yorkers who are being arrested, they're being detained, they're being deported for the crime of making a regular court appearance."
"My focus as the next mayor of this city is going to be to protect immigrants who call this city their home," he added.
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Reporters pressed Mamdani on the issue during a gaggle outside the church Sunday, but the mayor-elect declined to speculate about how Trump would react to his policies.
"I'll let the president speak for himself, but I did make very clear that our focus comes back to public safety, delivering for each and every New Yorker and knowing that there may be disagreements between the president and myself, and there will continue to be," Mamdani said.
"And I will always make the case for each and every person that calls this city home," he added.
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Mamdani's statements come after he and Trump appeared to forge a new path for their relationship as they found common ground on affordability issues and improving conditions in New York. Trump admitted that the two had more in common than he thought - despite their different views - and that he would be "cheering" for Mamdani as he leads the city.
"I expect to be helping him, not hurting him - a big help," Trump said Friday.
Fox News' Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
