NEW YORK CITY (VINnews) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sharply criticized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a speech at the city’s annual Interfaith Breakfast on Friday, calling the agency a “rogue” entity and a “manifestation of the abuse of power,” before signing an executive order to strengthen the city’s sanctuary policies.

Speaking at the event at the New York Public Library, which brought together faith leaders from various traditions to promote unity, Mamdani condemned what he described as cruel and unconstitutional actions by federal immigration agents under the Trump administration.

“Day after day we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience,” Mamdani said. “Masked agents paid by our own tax dollars violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors. They arrive as if atop a pale horse, and they leave a path of wreckage in their wake. It is a manifestation of the abuse of power.”

The mayor, a democratic socialist, added that ICE “is more than a rogue agency” and referenced its founding in 2002, arguing there is “no reforming something so rotten.”

In the same address, Mamdani announced and signed Executive Order 13, which he said would “uphold our city’s protection not just of our fellow immigrant New Yorkers, but of all New Yorkers from abusive immigration enforcement.”

The order reaffirms prohibitions on ICE entering city property — including schools, shelters and hospitals — without a judicial warrant. It also directs city agencies to audit their interactions with federal immigration authorities, protects resident data and privacy, and establishes an interagency committee to coordinate responses to potential escalations in federal enforcement.

Mamdani emphasized that the measures protect all New Yorkers and align with the city’s long-standing sanctuary status. The administration has also prepared “Know Your Rights” guides in multiple languages for residents.

However, critics noted that the core restriction on warrantless entry to city facilities already exists under New York City’s sanctuary laws, which were highlighted during prior administrations when compliance issues arose, such as at shelters.

The speech and signing occurred amid heightened tensions over federal immigration enforcement following the recent presidential transition.

Mamdani’s remarks drew from biblical imagery and calls for compassion toward “the stranger among us,” framing the city’s stance as rooted in moral and faith-based principles.