MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Mayor appoints new Parks Commissioner, affirms NYC’s sanctuary status amid immigration crackdown

Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17-18, marked the 17th and 18th days of Zohran Mamdani’s term as mayor. amNewYork is following Mamdani around his first 100 days in office as we closely track his progress on fulfilling campaign promises, appointing key leaders to government posts, and managing the city’s finances. Here’s a summary of what the mayor did on these days.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani stayed busy over the weekend, appointing a new Parks Commissioner, overseeing his first snowstorm from the city’s highest office and reaffirming the city’s sanctuary policies amid an ongoing federal immigration crackdown.

The newest member of Mamdani’s administration, New York City Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura, comes to the post with a long track record in government and politics, most recently serving as Manhattan Borough Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

“These parks are more than simple green spaces in a city that is typically full of concrete,” Mamdani said at the Saturday announcement. “They are what makes our home feel like home. They are what add order to lives of chaos. They are where we can take a deep breath and exhale. And I’m grateful to Tricia for assuming this incredible responsibility, and I’m eager to see our parks only improve in the years to come.”

During her time as Manhattan Borough Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, Shimamura helped lead the response to the devastating 2024 Inwood Hill Park fires and oversaw the reopening of Phase 1 of East River Park . She previously worked at Columbia University as the Director of Government Relations, where she spearheaded a vote-by-mail program for over 20,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shimamura went on to work for then-Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, overseeing the office’s Community Affairs Unit.

“We have a responsibility as a city to do more,” Shimamura said at the press conference. “Mayor Mamdani has rightfully outlined a vision for a more affordable city where every New Yorker, not just the few, can grow and thrive, and where government works for the people. I deeply appreciate and understand that Parks has a mandate to uphold and a critical role to play in the future of our city.”

Mamdani has framed access to public parks as an affordability issue, describing parks as the “rare corner of our city that are truly accessible and affordable to each and every person who calls the city home.” The mayor, a democratic socialist from Queens, ran on an ambitious affordability agenda.

He pledged during his campaign to boost funding for the Parks Department, promising during a debate to allocate upwards of 1% of the city’s entire budget to the agency. NYC Parks’ budget currently accounts for roughly .6% of the city’s $117 billion budget.

“Tricia knows that stewarding our parks means more than cutting the grass and tending to the trees,” Mamdani said. “It is a daily endeavor where parks leaders must work with local stakeholders to ensure that their needs are heard, to expand access to more New Yorkers, and to make these public resources truly belong to the public.”

Mamdani responds to ongoing immigration crackdown, reaffirms sanctuary policies

Mamdani sat for an interview with ABC7’s Bill Ritter, which aired Sunday morning, in which he discussed the progress he’s made on his affordability agenda so far, the crises he’s shouldered in a busy first two weeks, and concerns over the federal government’s ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown.

New York City has seen heightening ICE enforcement since spring 2025, with President Donald Trump’s administration setting daily quotas for detentions. Masked ICE officers have been forcefully detaining immigrants for months at 26 Federal Plaza, where noncitizen New Yorkers come for routine appointments.

“Look, our values, and our laws are not bargaining chips. We are proud of them. We are New Yorkers who believe that everyone in the city should be safe,” Mamdani said.

Ritter had noted the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident shot four times by an ICE agent while attempting to drive her car away. The killing kicked off protests across the nation, including in New York City.

Mamdani cited New York City’s sanctuary city policies, which ensure that ICE cannot enter schools or city property without a judicial warrant.

“What they do is they inform New Yorkers of their own rights, and these used to be defended by Republicans and Democrats alike for decades, because they created safety,” Mamdani said of the sanctuary policies. “I’m going to continue to defend them.”

He said he will “always be direct and honest with the president” and to continue to be “clear that ICE raids are cruel and inhumane and they do nothing to actually serve the interest of public safety” — a sentiment he said he expressed to Trump at the pair’s November meeting.

First snowstorm response, Africa Cup of Nations watch party

Mamdani spent much of Saturday overseeing his first snowstorm response as mayor — the city declared a Code Blue, which triggers widespread homeless outreach across the five boroughs to ensure vulnerable New Yorkers have access to shelter.

“Please check on your neighbors and stay safe, New York,” Mamdani wrote Saturday in a post on X.

He also echoed New York City Emergency Management’s snow advisory, urging New Yorkers to stay off the roads if possible and afford extra time for travel. Snow continued into Sunday.

Mamdani spent Sunday afternoon hosting an Africa Cup of Nations final watch party. Donning an Arsenal jersey — his English Premier League team of choice — he quipped that he was “rooting for Africa today,” not a specific team, “as a classic politician.” The final saw a face-off against Senegal and Morocco, and was tied at halftime.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and hosted various soccer-related public events during his run for mayor. Manhattan Borough President Brad Holyman-Sigal and various City Council members were also present, in addition to the Consul Generals of Morocco, South Africa Nigeria, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Liberia.