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Dhillon warns of federal scrutiny over Mamdani’s policies
The issue emerged amid policy shifts following the inauguration of Mamdani on Jan. 1.
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Anushka Pathak - Fri, 02, Jan 2026
- 12:33 EST
- 27
U.S. Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon / Courtesy: Wikimedia
U.S. Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon has said federal authorities would closely monitor New York City for potential violations of religious liberty.
The statement followed complaints from Jewish advocacy groups over the deletion of antisemitism-related posts from the official X handle of NYC Mayor following the mayoral transition on Jan. 1.
“We will investigate, sue, and indict as needed,” Dhillion said in response to the complaint.
We will be extremely vigilant @CivilRights as to ANY AND ALL violations of religious liberties in NYC. We will investigate, sue, and indict as needed. https://t.co/Y8RF8evoln
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 2, 2026
The concerned posts had promoted city resources and a report addressing antisemitism and were originally published under former mayor Eric Adams shortly before the mayoral transition.
In a letter to city oversight bodies, the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) described the deletions as “disturbing” and questioned whether New York public records laws were followed, including retention requirements. The group sought confirmation that the content had been archived and called for renewed assurances regarding the safety of Jewish communities.
The issue emerged amid policy shifts following the inauguration of Mamdani on Jan. 1. On his first day in office, Mamdani revoked executive orders signed by the previous NYC Mayor Eric Adams after Adams’ Sept. 2024 federal indictment.
The orders affected several measures tied to antisemitism, including adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition and opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Mamdani has said he will retain the Mayor’s Office to combat antisemitism but plans to remove the IHRA definition, citing free speech concerns, and dissolve a pro-Israel business council. He has publicly drawn a distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and rejected allegations of antisemitism against himself. Jewish advocacy groups have expressed concern that the changes and deleted posts could signal reduced prioritization of antisemitism enforcement.
The DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has said combating antisemitism and protecting houses of worship remain enforcement priorities.
As of Jan. 2, Mamdani’s office had not issued a public response to Dhillon’s statement.
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