‘Ongoing’ process for Mamdani to get federal security clearance, City Hall says

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not yet received federal security clearance nine months into his term, a process City Hall describes as "ongoing and proceeding within the currently prevailing timeline." This clearance would allow him to access federally classified information on national security threats. The Mayor's office noted that this delay is not unusual, citing former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who received his clearance nearly two years into his term. Despite lacking federal clearance, the NYPD regularly briefs the mayor on non-federally classified investigations. The issue arises as New York City prepares to host world leaders for the UN General Assembly, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mamdani, who previously campaigned on arresting Netanyahu, stated, "My prior remarks were that if people choose to do so, then they are able to because that is the law here in New York City."