Edwin Raymond sworn in as New York City's first Haitian sheriff as TPS for Haitians expires
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Attorney General Letitia James used the ceremony to stand with Haitian New Yorkers and urge Congress to act.
NEW YORK, United States. Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that "there's a new sheriff in town" on Monday as Edwin Raymond, the son of Haitian immigrants, was sworn in to lead New York City's Sheriff's Office.
The Brooklyn College ceremony took place on the same day Temporary Protected Status (TPS) expired for more than 300,000 Haitians in the United States. Officials called Raymond's appointment, as the first Haitian New Yorker to lead the office, a milestone for the city's Haitian community.
"Anyone who thinks that they can push Haitian New Yorkers out of this city, out of this country, ask me where Haitian New Yorkers are going to go," Mamdani said. "I tell them the only answer is up."
TPS expires
The expiry followed a Supreme Court ruling last month that cleared the way for the Trump administration to end TPS for Haitians and Syrians. Lower-court orders had kept the protections in place until July 27. Haitians without another legal status could now face deportation.
Attorney General Letitia James, who administered the oath, said the expiry would strip hundreds of thousands of Haitians of legal protection and work authorisation. "Their lives will be upended today," she said. "We are with you."
Five days earlier, James and 18 other attorneys general urged Congress to extend TPS for Haitians. Their letter said about 56,800 Haitian TPS holders live in New York state, and urged the Senate to approve House-passed legislation extending the protections to April 20, 2029.
Mamdani said the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs would keep connecting affected families with free legal help, and that city services remain available regardless of immigration status.
The new sheriff
Raymond, who grew up in East Flatbush, spent 15 years in the NYPD, rising to lieutenant. He became a prominent internal critic after joining a 2015 lawsuit alleging officers were pressured to meet enforcement quotas, and wrote "An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America". He retired in 2023 and joined James's office.
He inherits an agency whose former leader, Anthony Miranda, was fired by Mamdani earlier this year and is under federal investigation for corruption within the office.
Raymond became emotional speaking about his late parents. He promised transparency and professionalism. "Community confidence is not given," he said. "It is earned every day."
