Former Biden administration aide Bitta Mostofi, who previously advocated for banning the term “illegal immigrant” during Bill de Blasio’s time as mayor, has been appointed by Mayor Zoran Mamdani to conduct an audit of various city agencies. This audit will specifically focus on compliance with sanctuary laws, and it includes the New York Police Department among others.
Mostofi, who once held a significant role in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will oversee the review of six city departments to pinpoint any potential violations and loopholes. The announcement comes shortly after former President Trump threatened to withhold significant federal funding from cities that maintain sanctuary policies.
In her new role, Mostofi will act as a special advisor to Mamdani’s First Deputy Mayor, Dean Freihan. She explained that this initiative would allow individuals to propose policy changes to the mayor covering a wide range of issues, from processes to accountability and transparency.
The targeted agencies for this audit include the NYPD, Department of Corrections, Department of Children’s Services, Department of Probation, and Department of Health and Human Services. These organizations were selected because they frequently interact with federal immigration authorities.
Under former Mayor Eric Adams, it was discovered that some officials had shared information with federal agencies about undocumented inmates, thereby breaching sanctuary policies designed to limit cooperation with entities like ICE.
Mostofi has criticized the previous administration for undermining New York City’s sanctuary laws, emphasizing that the audit would aim to clarify lingering uncertainties and address gray areas within these policies.
She referred to the actions taken during Adams’ time as damaging to existing protections, as reported by Politico. The goal of the audit is to produce a report detailing how each agency upholds sanctuary laws and to offer solutions for closing any loopholes that may allow federal government intervention. This report is expected to be delivered to Mamdani by May 7.
Mostofi’s background includes her role as de Blasio’s director of immigration affairs where she spearheaded immigration initiatives during Trump’s first term. She has previously condemned policies that would deny green cards to immigrants likely to access state welfare, describing them as detrimental to immigrants’ rights. Additionally, she backed a City Council bill that sought to eliminate the use of terms like “alien” and “illegal immigrant” in city communications as they are derogatory in nature.
The audit announced on February 6 is part of Mamdani’s wider executive order aimed at reinforcing protections and accountability linked to New York City’s long-standing sanctuary stance.
This order coincides with Mamdani’s strong remarks against Trump’s immigration policies, emphasizing that ICE agents shouldn’t have unrestricted access to New York City premises without proper judicial warrants, impacting places such as schools and hospitals. In January, Trump reiterated his commitment to cutting funding for sanctuary cities, arguing that such policies foster crime and fraud at the expense of the American populace.
