New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is wasting no time, announcing a colossal, “Trump-proofing” plan to invest a whopping $165 million in free legal defense services for immigrants if he wins the November election, per MSNBC. This ambitious platform, which Mamdani is calling a “cornerstone” of his campaign, is all about cementing New York City’s status as the “‘strongest sanctuary city in the country,” promising protection and legal assistance for people “in urgent risk of deportation.”
The mayoral hopeful is committing to increasing the funding for these services by “more than $100 million” over what’s currently allocated. It’s a jump that feels like night and day compared to what the city offers now, and you can bet that the funding is aimed at providing a robust legal shield for those facing federal action. Mamdani’s primary goal with this investment is so that “we can ensure we’re taking every step we can to keep the Yorkers safe, to keep New Yorkers together and to show the world that they are welcome in this city.”
This massive new commitment is much faster overall than a slow, incremental increase. He also vowed to be a mayor “that ensures we increase legal representation of immigrant New Yorkers who are under attack.” Along with the legal defense funding, his plan includes other notable commitments, like free buses, city-owned grocery stores, and a rent freeze. It’s a whole-of-government approach that aims to meet what he calls voters’ “material needs,” which is a very progressive stance.
Trump vs NYC is getting more intense
The $165 million isn’t just a big number, either; Mamdani has a plan for exactly where he wants to spend the cash to strengthen New York’s legal defenses. He’s going to dramatically increase the budget for several existing key programs. For example, the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative is set to jump from a mere $500,000 to a powerful $25 million. This kind of investment could make the difference in getting people the help they need immediately.
On the family side of things, the New York Immigrant Family Unit Program, which currently receives $16 million, is slated to nearly double to $30 million. Plus, the Immigrant Opportunity Initiative will see its funding swell from $20 million to $40 million. Mamdani also plans to continue funding “essential programs” like interpretation services and crucial “know your rights initiatives.”
All of this is bundled into his comprehensive “Trump-proofing” proposal, which also includes a commitment to end all cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protect immigrants’ personal data from the federal government. It’s hard to argue for Trump when his agents are pushing people to the ground for little reason and making ICE look like the Gestapo.
Mamdani included a commitment to “increase funding for immigration legal services to provide representation for people and communities targeted by mass deportation.” To be fair, there are still some open questions about how he’ll pay for the additional funding. While Mamdani’s campaign didn’t provide immediate clarification on the new funding sources, his overall platform does include plans to raise taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers. It seems like a pretty clear trade-off: higher taxes for the city’s wealthiest to fund a legal safety net for immigrants.
Published: Sep 29, 2025 08:35 pm