Mamdani Calls NYPD's Role In FBI Probe Of Court Observers ‘Deeply Troubling'

By Katie Honan, The City

Nov. 28, 2025

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said that he and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch will discuss the NYPD’s role in an FBI investigation that included surveillance of a private Signal chat among volunteer observers at immigration courthouses, which was reported Friday by THE CITY.

“That’s deeply troubling to me,” he said Monday about the surveillance of the encrypted chat among volunteer courtwatchers monitoring ICE activity inside courthouses.

The NYPD confirmed its involvement in the FBI’s probe, saying it was part of a “broader counterterrorism investigation” into “a range of possible criminal activities.”

Mamdani spoke of the importance of court watchers, sharing a story from a Brooklyn pastor who went to 26 Federal Plaza — where many immigration enforcement actions take place — with a congregant.

“Part of the reason that she was able to go home that day was because of the court watchers who were there,” he said.

Mamdani’s response came during a news conference to announce more than 400 members of his transition committee, including the Rev. Charles Galbreath, who also shared the story of his congregant. He’s a member of the committee on community safety, one of 17 such groups put together to aid with the transition

“New Yorkers have placed a great deal of hope and expectation in this new course they’ve elected us to chart,” Mamdani said during the news conference at Central Park’s Conservatory Garden.

The 17 committees are focused on a broad range of issues and include worker justice and community organizing committees — which Mamdani’s team said honors the movement that helped elect him.

Transition committees help define the agenda for the next mayor, staffed with volunteers who offer insights and expertise. Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams had more than 700 people on his transition committee — and was later fined nearly $20,000 for accepting prohibited donations and failing to properly file paperwork.

Mamdani announced his transition co-chairs earlier this month, as he is slowly rolling out appointments. They so far include Dean Fuleihan, who will be returning to the first deputy mayor role he held in the de Blasio administration.

This press release was produced by The City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.