Lead
On Thursday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani revoked nine executive orders that his predecessor, Eric Adams, issued after Adams’s Sept. 26, 2024, federal corruption indictment. The rescissions, announced hours after Mamdani’s inauguration in Brooklyn, target policies ranging from definitions of antisemitism and restrictions on protests to immigration and the horse-carriage industry. Mamdani’s team said the cutoff date was chosen so the new administration could have a “fresh start.” The move restores municipal discretion over several contested policies and signals an early policy reset for City Hall.
Key Takeaways
- Mamdani revoked nine executive orders that Eric Adams issued after Adams’s Sept. 26, 2024, indictment; the actions were announced on the mayor’s first full day in office.
- Revoked items include directives on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, adoption of the IHRA antisemitism definition, limits on protests outside houses of worship, and authorization for ICE on Rikers Island.
- One rescinded order would have barred city contracting or policies that “discriminate” against Israel or people associated with it; another sought to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
- Mamdani retained the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism issued in May but said he will amend its founding order; he also plans unspecified revisions to the provision restricting protests near houses of worship.
- An April order allowing ICE activity on Rikers was nullified by a court on a technicality but remained technically in effect until Mamdani’s rescission.
- Mamdani said he supports engaging the carriage drivers’ union before pursuing a ban on the city’s horse carriage industry, reversing Adams’s direct attempt to end it.
- Two recently created offices for rat mitigation and cryptocurrency promotion were also rescinded, removing Adams’s latest institutional priorities from City Hall.
Background
The policy changes follow a turbulent period in New York politics after Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on Sept. 26, 2024, on charges alleging he accepted bribes and illegal campaign contributions tied to Turkish government operatives; those charges were later dismissed by the U.S. Department of Justice in spring 2025. Adams has maintained his innocence throughout. The indictment and the subsequent DOJ resolution left lingering controversy over his administration’s independence and motivated political opponents to question the legitimacy of actions taken after that date.
Mayoral executive orders are a common tool for shaping city policy quickly, covering personnel directives, contracting restrictions and program creation. Adams used post-indictment orders to embed several policy positions into municipal practice—from a firm stance against BDS-related contracting restrictions to an attempt to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Those moves drew pushback from activists, legal advocates and some community groups who argued they blurred lines between municipal policy and national political disputes.
Main Event
Shortly after his inauguration in Brooklyn, Mamdani announced a package of rescissions that undid nine of Adams’s post-indictment executive actions. Mamdani’s office framed the step as restoring democratic accountability and ensuring the new administration can set its own priorities. Officials provided a list showing the rescinded orders covered issues including BDS-related contracting restrictions, the IHRA definition adoption, ICE activity on Rikers, a proposed horse carriage ban enacted by fiat, and two newly created city offices for rat mitigation and cryptocurrency growth.
Mamdani explained at the evening press conference that he used the indictment date as a practical cutoff, arguing actions taken by the prior administration after that point were perceived as tainted by the controversy surrounding Adams. He emphasized his intent to preserve protections for Jewish New Yorkers by keeping the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism while modifying its founding order to reflect his administration’s priorities. At the same time, Mamdani said he would engage stakeholders—including the carriage drivers’ union and community groups—before pursuing permanent policy changes.
The rescission of the ICE-related order is notable because a court had already invalidated that directive on technical grounds; Mamdani’s action removes any remaining procedural ambiguity. On the BDS-related order, Mamdani’s team said the prohibition on city officials taking contracting or policy steps that could be seen as discriminatory against Israel or people associated with it will no longer be in force. Similarly, the IHRA-related order, criticized by some as conflating political critique of Israeli government policy with antisemitism, was revoked outright.
Analysis & Implications
Politically, Mamdani’s swift revocations signal a clear break with Adams’s final months and an intention to reassert mayoral discretion around contentious cultural and foreign-policy-adjacent municipal decisions. By setting the indictment date as the line, Mamdani frames his move as restoring public trust rather than merely overturning specific policies. That rationale will be scrutinized by opponents who may view the cut-off as arbitrary or politically motivated.
For Jewish and pro-Palestine community relations, preserving the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism while rescinding the IHRA adoption and the BDS-related restriction aims to balance free-speech concerns with protections against hate. How Mamdani’s amendments reshape reporting, enforcement, and outreach within the office will determine whether those who fear rising antisemitism feel reassured or remain skeptical. The administration’s next steps on antisemitism policy, including the content of the promised amendments, will be closely watched.
On immigration and law-enforcement policy, removing the Rikers ICE authorization reduces the prospect of local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement inside city detention facilities. That has immediate operational implications for jail administrators and for-city-state relations if state or federal agencies seek access for immigration investigations. The rescissions of the rat mitigation and crypto offices indicate a shift away from the previous administration’s niche institutional priorities and toward a different set of municipal focuses.
Comparison & Data
| Policy area | Adams’ post-indictment order | Mamdani action |
|---|---|---|
| BDS/Israel contracting | Prohibited city actions seen as discriminatory vs. Israel (Dec. 2025) | Revoked |
| Antisemitism definition | Adopted IHRA definition (late 2025) | Revoked; office retained with amendments |
| Protests near worship | Directed NYPD to limit protests at houses of worship (2025) | Retained with unspecified amendments |
| ICE on Rikers | Authorized ICE operations for investigations (Apr. 2025) | Revoked (previously invalidated by court) |
| Horse carriage industry | Attempted executive ban (2025) | Revoked; union engagement planned |
| New offices | Rat mitigation and crypto offices (Dec. 2025) | Revoked |
The table above summarizes the principal policy reversals. While some rescissions merely formalize changes after court rulings, others remove active administrative constraints that had immediate effects on contracting, policing, and agency priorities. The practical outcome will depend on how quickly the Mamdani team issues replacement guidance or amended orders.
Reactions & Quotes
At the inauguration-day press conference in Brooklyn, Mamdani framed the moves as restoring public faith in local governance and addressing why some New Yorkers disengaged from politics. He pledged to protect Jewish communities while taking a different approach to policy tools he views as coercive.
“We need a fresh start so City Hall works for working people again,”
Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani’s office provided a follow-up list of the rescinded orders and emphasized stakeholder engagement on contentious items such as the carriage industry and protest guidance. City Hall has said the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will remain active but that its founding order will be amended to reflect the new administration’s framework and safeguards.
“That office will remain, and we will strengthen protections while ensuring civil liberties are respected,”
Zohran Mamdani
Eric Adams did not provide a public comment for the initial reporting. Adams has previously defended his record and denied wrongdoing related to the indictment that preceded these actions; his allies have described the DOJ resolution as controversial. The resignation of Adams-era orders will likely fuel debate among his supporters and critics about the proper scope of mayoral executive power and the political aftermath of the indictment and DOJ settlement.
“I never did anything wrong,”
Eric Adams (public statement)
Unconfirmed
- Whether specific legal flaws exist in each rescinded order beyond the ICE order’s court technicality has not been publicly documented.
- The exact text of the amendments Mamdani plans for the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and the protest-restriction order has not been released by City Hall.
- Assertions that the DOJ resolution “compromised” Adams remain a matter of political interpretation rather than a legal finding in the public record.
Bottom Line
Mamdani’s early-day rescissions mark a decisive administrative reset, undoing a clutch of post-indictment measures that had polarized community groups and legal advocates. By preserving the antisemitism office while revoking the IHRA adoption and the BDS-related contracting restriction, he is attempting a middle path between addressing hate and defending free expression. The effectiveness of that balancing act will depend on the content of forthcoming amendments and on whether the administration can build trust across communities.
Operationally, rescinding the ICE authorization and the ad-hoc creation of niche City Hall offices shifts resources and priorities away from Adams’s late-term agenda. Observers should watch for replacement orders or legislative moves and for how courts, state agencies and community organizations respond as policies are rewritten in the weeks ahead.
Sources
- New York Daily News (media report summarizing Mamdani press conference and list of rescinded orders)