The NYPD refused to provide security protection for Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, during her planned trip to Syria and Lebanon beginning September 20, citing its policy against sending officers to countries with Level 4 “Do Not Travel” travel advisories for non-investigative purposes.
The denial came after City Hall initially claimed the NYPD had “strongly recommended” that Duwaji be accompanied by a police security detail on the family visit, creating a sharp public contradiction. An NYPD spokesperson said early Tuesday: “The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work.”
Duwaji, 29, is a Syrian-American artist and illustrator who has family ties to the region. She had previously traveled overseas in July without her NYPD security detail and reportedly requested police protection for the September trip following that experience.
The State Department maintains Level 4 advisories for both Syria and Lebanon due to armed conflict, terrorism, and ongoing instability. Lebanon’s Level 4 status was issued in June 2026, while Syria has carried the highest warning for years. These designations mean the U.S. government advises citizens to avoid all travel to those countries.
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told the New York Post that providing such protection would be “ill-advised,” noting it would “definitely” put officers at risk. Bratton added that any such assignment would be “expensive” and require significant federal government assistance and cooperation, involving “lots of hoops you’d have to go through.”
The timing of the request coincides with the 81st United Nations General Assembly in September, when NYPD resources are typically stretched thin. Mayor Mamdani had separately urged New Yorkers to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attendance at the gathering, which Bratton’s comments suggest could further strain the department’s capacity.
The controversy also reflects a broader pattern of scrutiny over security detail use by New York mayors. In 2021, a Department of Investigation report found that Mayor Bill de Blasio had misused his NYPD security detail for personal trips and family errands, spending approximately $320,000 on security costs for campaign travel in 2019 alone. That incident led to increased oversight of how mayoral security resources are deployed.
Sources
- New York Post — NYPD’s statement denying the security detail and Bratton’s commentary on the assignment’s risks
- State Department / Travel Advisories — Level 4 travel advisory status for Syria and Lebanon
- i24news — Initial reporting on the planned trip and security detail
- Department of Investigation (2021) — Historical precedent on de Blasio’s misuse of security detail
