After meeting with Mamdani, will President Trump still send in National Guard and ICE? : NPR

Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has had a volatile relationship with President Trump. he is called president fascistTrump has called in return Him a “little communist mayor,” and caution That he could send the National Guard. administration also Said it Desire Expand ICE operations in the city.

But finally when both the leaders recently met face to face To many people’s surprise it was cordial. Some might even say hot.

The President said, “We agree on a lot more than I thought. I want him to do a very good job and we’ll help him do a good job.” The Internet was soon flooded with memes of the President looking admiringly at Mamdani. next day’s New York Post On the cover it was written “I love you ma’am.”

But many New Yorkers say they are doing it all with caution and remaining cautious.

“The president says one thing one day, and a different thing the next day,” says a street vendor outside a subway station in Queens. “You don’t know what’s real anymore.”

What she does know is that she’s seen a recent uptick in immigration enforcement, which is why she’s asked NPR to withhold her name. She is undocumented and is worried.

Every morning around 4:30, she posts up here and sells refreshments and snacks. A few weeks ago, shortly after being installed, she says several ICE agents jumped out of an unmarked car to pursue two workers who had just bought something to eat.

She ran into the building behind her, locked the door, and hid in the stairwell until it was all over.

This seller says she loves Mamdani, but she worries the president will punish the city for choosing him democratic socialistHe fears New York will turn into Chicago or Los Angeles, two cities that have experienced massive immigration raids,

This is a common sentiment in New York these days. The day after the White House meeting, President Trump said that although he no longer plans to send troops to New York, he wouldif needed. NPR contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment and did not receive a response.

Mamdani, on his part, repeated He will protect immigrants in New York.

Despite multiple requests, his team did not allow NPR to interview him. But a source close to his transition team told NPR on condition of anonymity that Mamdani is exploring legal strategies at the local level to limit Trump’s actions in New York City, including bolstering the NYC Law Department by adding 200 lawyers.

Hudson Valley Congressman Patrick Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes some of New York City’s northern suburbs, told NPR that one lesson from Chicago and L.A. is that states can Successfully challenge the administration in court. Ryan cites his background as an Iraq War veteran.

He says, “Coming to my state and my country, and seeing the idea of ​​American soldiers deployed against American citizens and American cities, is fundamentally un-American. By the way, young American men and women don’t sign up to do this.”

He hopes that the meeting between Mamdani and Trump will reduce tension. But like any street vendor in Queens, he’s taking it with a grain of salt. He says he’s hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

This is what the organizers are doing on the streets.

Carina Kauffman-Gutierrez is the deputy director of the advocacy group Street Vendor Project. She says street vendors are among the most vulnerable immigrants in New York. “Street vendors have their eyes on the ground, right? They see everything that happens.”

He hopes that the incoming mayor will be supportive. She says she also believes New York’s street vendors are uniquely prepared to withstand the ICE crackdown. Many of them see it as “the next pandemic,” she says.

In fact, the organization is relying on pandemic-era strategies for vendors who are afraid to work on the streets during immigration raids. “For example, we have a catering program where people can reach out to us, and we will connect them with a vendor to cater their event.”

She says the new mayor could do something like this to do This has made it easier for street vendors to operate – as Mamdani puts it will give priorityHe has promised to allow thousands of additional license applications for vendors and repeal criminal liability rules,

Meanwhile, in the cool shade of his stand, a street snack vendor looks out onto the busy street. She wonders how long this liveliness will last and how long she will continue to endure.

“Three more years,” she says, referring to the Trump administration. “I hope they go away quickly.”