New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani vowed Thursday that his administration will continue supporting Haitian and Syrian immigrants after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants.
The comments came after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal courts generally cannot review the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haitian and Syrian nationals.
The ruling allows the administration to move forward with ending TPS protections for more than 350,000 Haitians and approximately 6,000 Syrians, potentially exposing many recipients to deportation unless they qualify for another legal immigration status.
Speaking in a video statement, Mamdani criticized both the ruling and the administration’s immigration policy.
“To have people who frankly taught the world about freedom have their own freedom put into jeopardy by the actions of a Supreme Court and federal administration — it is not only cruel, it’s not something we will ever accept,” the mayor said.
Mamdani later joined Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and immigration advocates at a rally following the decision.
In a statement released by City Hall, the mayor described the ruling as “one of the largest attacks on immigrants in modern American history.”
“The Supreme Court just sparked one of the largest attacks on immigrants in modern American history,” Mamdani said. “In one fell swoop, thousands of Haitians and Syrians now risk losing the right to live and work in the country they call home.”
He said the decision would have a significant impact on New York City, which is home to one of the nation’s largest Haitian communities as well as thousands of Syrian residents.
“To the tens of thousands of New Yorkers with TPS who are watching the news, frightened about what comes next, hear me clearly: New York City is your home. You belong here. We will not turn our backs on you,” the statement said.
City Hall said the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs will provide additional guidance and resources to affected residents.
Mamdani’s remarks also highlighted New York City’s sanctuary policies, which generally prohibit local agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement except in limited circumstances.
Since taking office in January, the mayor has expanded those policies through an executive order signed in February. The order bars Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from entering city-owned facilities, including public schools, hospitals and homeless shelters, without a judicial warrant.
The directive also ordered city agencies to review compliance with sanctuary policies and required additional training for municipal employees.
“We will make it clear once again ICE will not be able to enter New York City property without a judicial warrant. That means our schools, our shelters and our hospitals,” Mamdani said when announcing the policy earlier this year.
According to city data, approximately 115,000 Haitian residents and nearly 12,000 Syrian residents live in New York City, per the New York Post.
Temporary Protected Status has shielded Syrians from deportation since 2012 following the outbreak of civil war and has protected Haitians since 2010 after the devastating earthquake that struck the Caribbean nation.
The Supreme Court’s ruling follows an earlier decision allowing the Trump administration to terminate TPS protections for Venezuelan nationals. While the decision removes judicial barriers to ending TPS, individuals losing the designation may still pursue other forms of immigration relief if they qualify under federal law.
