Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration plans to canvass neighborhoods across New York City in a roughly $130,000-campaign to inform workers and immigrants of their rights in tandem with the upcoming World Cup, according to City Hall.
Department of Consumer and Worker Protection staff will hand out copies of the “Workers’ Bill of Rights” at high-trafficked subway stations and other corridors on days throughout June and July. The Department plans to reach over 20,000 residents over the next five weeks.
The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs will also distribute information about immigrants’ rights in multiple languages across immigrant neighborhoods, including what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempt to enter a home or workplace.
Mamdani said in a statement the administration was distributing the materials to New Yorkers and visitors alike to ensure that they are aware of the protections and that City Hall has their back.
"The World Cup is a time when people from around the world come together around a shared love of soccer,” Mamdani said in the statement. “We have no tolerance for those who want to use the tournament as an opportunity to take advantage of New Yorkers, whether that’s through deceptive business practices, violations of our labor laws, or other forms of exploitation.”
The steps come as New York and New Jersey prepare to cohost eight World Cup matches, beginning on Saturday and extending through July. An estimated 1.2 million visitors are expected to travel to the region for the tournament.
The matches also coincide with the Trump administration’s crackdown on legal and illegal immigration, which has heightened concerns around the presence of ICE officers at World Cup venues and by some accounts dampened interest in the tournament.
Gov. Kathy Hochul in May signed into law a set of sweeping immigration reforms, including a ban on law enforcement officers wearing masks and a measure barring local police statewide from enforcing civil immigration laws.
In response, President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, renewed a promise on Fox News on Monday to deploy “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen in New York City.” The administration has issued similar threats before.
Hochul responded to Homan's remarks on Tuesday, saying on social media, "We will continue working with federal authorities to target violent offenders. But we will not stand by if ICE floods our communities with agents, separates families, and turns our neighborhoods into the backdrop for a campaign of fear."
Mamdani planned to participate in the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection's first canvassing event on Tuesday afternoon in Brooklyn, passing out information to fast-food workers.
Samuel Levine, the department's commissioner, said in an interview the city wants to ““leverage the attention around the World Cup” to get the word out about worker protections.
“The mayor’s made clear that this should not just be a World Cup for the wealthy,” Levine said. “This should not just be an event for the elite. This should be an event to celebrate what makes New York great.”
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs staff will hand out multilingual red and yellow palm cards as part of a "referee kit” they will distribute at commercial corridors and World Cup watch parties throughout the boroughs.
Neon yellow palm cards will list contact information for the city’s immigration legal support hotline, its hotline for domestic and gender-based violence victims, and 311 for questions about city services or consumer or worker issues.
Red palm cards will explain what to do when ICE agents approach homes or businesses, including explaining that ICE officers need judicial warrants or permission to enter homes or private areas of businesses. The cards will also tell individuals they may refuse to speak with officers or allow them to search their person.
The cards will be printed in the city’s 10 most commonly spoken foreign languages and Wolof.
“We are meeting people where they are, both physically but also culturally,” Faiza Ali, the immigrant affairs commissioner, said in an interview. “Rather than expecting people to come find government information, it’s on us to bring that information directly to them, into the places where people are already gathering.”
Levine said New York City has some of the strongest worker protections in the country, including a minimum pay for delivery drivers and a three-week notice of schedule changes for fast food workers. All workers are also entitled to time off, including for sick leave, caring for children, and appearing in court, Levine said.
Mamdani has proposed to boost the department's budget as his administration has mandated new policies intended to protect residents from potential ICE enforcement.
This story has been updated with additional comment from Gov. Kathy Hochul.
