Judge Orders Mamdani’s New York to Hand ICE Shelter Records, Rejecting Sanctuary Objections

A federal judge has ordered New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to turn over records on homeless shelter residents sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, rejecting the city’s objections.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, ruled Friday that the city must comply with the subpoena, the Washington Examiner reported.

ICE wants the names and birth dates of homeless men staying at a Bronx shelter to determine whether any are in the country illegally and subject to deportation, according to the Examiner.

In a 12-page order, Kaplan noted the government is tailoring its request to residents accused of certain violent crimes and has agreed to a special master who will cull the list, Politico reported.

“In light of the agency’s consent to the use of a special master, and deferring to the agency’s assessment that the records are relevant,” Kaplan wrote, the subpoena concerns a matter material to immigration enforcement, according to Politico.

City Weighs an Appeal

Mamdani spokesperson Ivonne Rodriguez said the city is evaluating its next steps, The Front Page reported. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office is reviewing whether an appeal is viable.

The ruling is a setback for City Hall, which had resisted the federal demand for the shelter records.

It remains unclear whether the city or the state will ask a higher court to intervene, according to The Front Page.

The case tests how far New York’s sanctuary rules can go in withholding information from federal agents. Those rules limit how city agencies cooperate with immigration enforcement but do not override a valid federal subpoena.

The narrowing matters. By agreeing that a neutral special master will filter names to those accused of violent crimes, ICE gave the court a reason to reject arguments that the demand was a fishing expedition.

The ruling lands as Mamdani, a democratic socialist elected in 2025, settles into his second year at City Hall while Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January.

Kaplan was appointed by a Democratic president, the Examiner noted, and he deferred to ICE’s judgment that the records are relevant to a legitimate investigation.

The order covers one shelter and only identifying details, names and birth dates, rather than broader case files, with a neutral special master standing between the city and the agency.

It also comes as Trump elevates Stephen Miller, the architect of his deportation push, to White House chief of staff, signaling the administration will keep pressing sanctuary cities in court.

Other Democratic cities have moved the other way since Tuesday. Houston Mayor John Whitmire limited cooperation with ICE after Democrats swept Texas, saying “elections matter,” as CDN reported.

For now, Kaplan’s order means the shelter records are headed to a special master, unless the city wins a stay on appeal.

Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content syndicated through CDN is available for re-publication without charge under the Creative Commons license. Visit our syndication page for details and requirements.