Ramzi Kassem Explains His Role in the Mamdani Administration and City Hall’s Legal Battles
Ramzi Kassem, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s chief counsel, appeared on Inside City Hall to discuss his role in the administration and the legal issues now shaping City Hall’s agenda. While the description under the video highlights Kassem’s background as a CUNY law professor and founder of the CLEAR clinic, the interview itself goes much further, focusing on how the mayor’s legal team is handling immigration enforcement, legislation, ethics, and major public controversies.
Kassem said his office provides legal and strategic advice to the mayor, City Hall staff, and city agencies on policy, litigation, legislation, compliance, and ethics. He described the job as helping the administration carry out the agenda voters elected Mayor Mamdani to deliver.
A central topic of the interview was ICE enforcement. Kassem was asked about a federal court filing acknowledging that an ICE memo had been used incorrectly to justify arrests in and around immigration courthouses. He argued that the mistaken legal basis had serious effects on immigrant New Yorkers and said the administration wants to continue defending those caught in ICE’s crosshairs.
The interview also turned to legislation connected to protest activity near houses of worship. Kassem pointed to the police department’s own testimony, saying the measure may largely formalize practices the NYPD already uses rather than create sweeping new authority.
Kassem also addressed the case of Mahmood Khalil, whom he formerly represented, and said Mayor Mamdani has consistently shown solidarity with immigrants who fear aggressive ICE actions. He described that support as broader than one person’s case, presenting it as a message to immigrant communities across the city.
Finally, Kassem discussed the mayor’s meeting with President Trump, saying Mamdani used that moment to raise the cases of several detained individuals with ties to New York City. According to Kassem, some were later released, and he described the episode as an example of the mayor using an unexpected opening to advocate for New Yorkers.
Overall, the video is about far more than Kassem’s résumé. It is really an interview about how Mayor Mamdani’s top lawyer sees the administration’s legal mission, especially on immigration, civil liberties, and politically sensitive city policy.
