Washington DC - President Donald Trump and his administration have responded after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an order reaffirming the city's status as a sanctuary city.

On Friday, during the first annual Interfaith Breakfast of the mayor's administration, Mamdani signed an executive order that seeks to protect the privacy and data of immigrants, bolsters restrictions on federal immigration agents on city property, initiates an audit to make sure city agencies are complying with sanctuary laws, and establishes a committee to coordinate crisis response in the event of altercations with agents.

In a statement to Politico, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for Trump's Department of Homeland Security, claimed the mayor "will make New Yorkers less safe as a direct result of this policy."

She also demanded he "agree to release criminals in New York City's custody to ICE before they are released back onto the Big Apple's streets to victimize and prey on more Americans."

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The order comes as Trump has deployed immigration agents to numerous Democrat-run cities, sparking outrage and protests across the US.

Tensions have been notably high in Minneapolis, where two US citizens were killed by federal agents in January.

In a speech on Friday, Mamdani accused agents of enacting "cruelty that staggers the conscience" and said his order will "strengthen our city's protection... from abusive immigration enforcement."