Randy Mastro nominated as NYC's top attorney, pledges to protect asylum seekers' rights

Recently nominated to be the city’s top lawyer, Randy Mastro said he’s committed to ensuring protections and social services for asylum seekers in the midst of a national crisis.

Courtesy Randy Mastro

Not only do we have a crisis in terms of the expanding population of asylum seekers in the city but we also have the prospect of a national election, which might dramatically affect the ramifications of that even more.”

Randy Mastro

Two weeks ago, Mayor Eric Adams officially nominated Randy Mastro as the top attorney for New York City, a role known as corporation counsel.

Mastro, a lifelong Democrat and the former deputy to Rudy Giuliani, has had extensive experience in legal matters, especially concerning same-sex marriage and migration, making his nomination especially relevant as the city struggles to accommodate a new wave of asylum seekers. 

“Not only do we have a crisis in terms of the expanding population of asylum seekers in the city,” Mastro said, “but we also have the prospect of a national election, which might dramatically affect the ramifications of that even more.”

To Mastro, the potential re-election of Donald Trump would be an “existential threat to our democracy.” He previously sued the Trump administration for violence against peaceful racial justice protestors after the death of George Floyd in 2020, and said he is prepared to do so again to protect the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers. 

As chairperson of a charter revision commission, Mastro persuaded voters to ratify an addition to the city’s charter that enshrines protections for all immigrants, guaranteeing access to city services without fear of reprisal, and implementing laws to protect against discrimination.

Under his leadership, Mastro said, the city law department would take on a more active role in affirmative litigation to ensure protections and access to services for asylum seekers rather than just defending the city.

His vision for the office is to find social-justice cases and to participate in them the way attorneys general often bring cases in the public interest, challenging actions of the federal government. 

“We are the most diverse city in the world,” Mastro said, “Our public interest is remaining a city of inclusion and diversity and doing right by the people who are here.”

In Riverdale, local organizations have been taking action in tandem. Selma Raven, of The Friendly Fridge Bronx, has been at the forefront of community efforts to assist asylum seekers who were housed in Van Cortlandt Motel last year.

Working alongside local groups, Raven and her team provided essential services, including donations of clothing, access to healthy meals sourced locally and facilitating universal pre-K registrations when needed. English classes, a highly sought after resource among the asylum seekers, were also made available through these community-driven initiatives. 

However, Raven believes more can be done by the city, especially with greater support from legislative officials. The first step, she suggests, would be for city officials to meet with all local nonprofits to discuss how they can work together more effectively in supporting asylum seekers.

There is also a strong push for organizations like Westhab, which will manage the new migrant shelter at West 238th Street, to hire local residents from Kingsbridge and Riverdale to work in the shelters. This approach would not only provide employment opportunities but also ensures those working in the shelters have a vested interest in the well-being of the community. 

Raven also suggested Riverdale could benefit from sourcing meals from local businesses such as Leche y Miel, a Dominican-American restaurant in Kingsbridge, which has experience with city contracts during the pandemic and is known for providing healthy meals. This would be a departure from the current model, in which centralized kitchens with no-bid contracts often serve substandard meals.

Lastly, local organizations with experience in supporting asylum seekers such as the Friendly Fridge — which has worked with eight different migrant shelters since 2023 — are requesting to be included in the decision-making process. Their on-the-ground experience in managing the needs of displaced individuals can provide valuable insight to help ensure support systems work for all those involved.