Mamdani meets with Trump at White House
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said he had a “productive meeting” with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office Friday afternoon, nearly three weeks after his historic victory.
The two pledged to work together to address the city’s affordability and housing crises, consistent with Mamdani’s campaign platform, and Trump called it a “good sign” that Mamdani plans to keep police commissioner Jessica Tisch. The mayor-elect also vowed to maintain the city’s 35,000 police officers and hire additional social workers to respond to mental health calls, which are typically directed to the New York City Police Department.
Mamdani said New Yorkers are growing “tired of seeing our tax dollars fund endless wars,” citing Israel’s ongoing siege in Gaza and that the country should “follow through” on international human rights promises. When reporters asked whether Trump would stop Mamdani from arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu if he were to come to New York City, Trump skirted the question and said that although Mamdani’s views are a little “out there,” there is room for change.
The meeting follows months of traded insults between Trump and Mamdani, with the president repeatedly calling the democratic socialist a “radical left lunatic” and a “communist.” When a reporter asked Mamdani if he still considers Trump a fascist, he upheld the statement after Trump laughed and told him, “That’s okay, you can just say it.”
Trump’s apparent fondness for Mamdani shocked officials, reporters and citizens across the political spectrum, and has become the subject of widespread internet jokes. Despite Trump previously threatening to withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani was elected, the Queens native said that he would live in a Mamdani-run city after the meeting.
“The better he does, the happier I am,” Trump told reporters. “I feel very confident that he can do a very good job. I think he is going to surprise some conservative people, actually.”
Border czar plans immigration crackdown in New York City
The White House’s border security and immigration advisor Tom Homan said in a Tuesday Fox News interview that federal immigration enforcement operations will escalate in New York City, nearly a month after nine people of African descent were detained while selling counterfeit goods on Canal Street.
Homan, who served in the position during the Obama administration and the first Trump administration, warned that he is targeting New York City because of its sanctuary policies. The policies, which the city has upheld for decades, are also adopted by 11 blue states to limit state and local governments from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
“We’re going to do operations in New York City,” Homan said. “We will increase the enforcement presence in New York City — again, because they’re a sanctuary city and there are public safety threats hitting the streets every day.”
While Mamdani and Trump didn’t address the issue during their Friday White House meeting, Trump said on Saturday that he won’t deploy the National Guard to New York City because other cities “need it more.” Last week, hundreds of National Guard troops were withdrawn from Portland and Chicago, where they had been deployed to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations for nearly two months.
On Saturday, ICE agents reappeared at Canal Street as NYPD officers were arresting a counterfeit goods vendor and seizing dozens of items. The vendor, who the Department of Homeland Security described as an undocumented immigrant from Senegal with an arrest history, was released from NYPD custody before ICE could detain him.
MTA accuses ‘copper thief’ for hundreds of subway delays
MTA officials said in a Wednesday meeting that a thief who stole wires from various trains is responsible for over 700 subway delays last month.
Efrain Velez, the 55-year-old “serial copper thief,” allegedly stole wires on three separate days in the span of one week and was arrested on Oct. 14 on charges of trespassing and criminal mischief. The MTA said that he pulled wires off the tunnel tracks near the 149th Street-Grand Concourse station in the Bronx, causing the signals to switch from green to red and halt train service.
Officials said the move delayed trains across the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 lines due to track circuit failures during evening rush hours, lowering the MTA’s on-time performance for October.
“That cable was responsible for powering the signal system,” transit executive vice president of subways Bill Amarosa told reporters. “It affected tens of thousands of riders. We’re angry that this happened.”
Law enforcement officers have long sought to apprehend 63-year-old “copper thief” Prince Hayes, who has stolen wires from the MTA for nearly 40 years and is facing a lifetime ban from the subway. Copper wire is sold in scrapyards and recycling centers for $5 per pound.
Contact Leena Ahmed at [email protected].