Overview
- City Hall initially told reporters that Rama Duwaji would be accompanied by her NYPD security detail on a reported family trip to Syria and Lebanon, a statement published by multiple outlets in early August.
- The NYPD publicly rejected that claim, saying the department does not send officers to countries with U.S. State Department Level 4 travel advisories for discretionary, non‑investigative travel.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani later called the exchange a "miscommunication" and said Duwaji would travel without any NYPD detail, a correction issued after the department’s denial.
- Reports say the trip is personal and is expected to begin Sept. 20, and both Syria and Lebanon carry U.S. Level 4 'Do Not Travel' warnings that complicate any overseas deployment of city police.
- The episode has intensified scrutiny of the mayoral office over judgment and optics given Duwaji’s past activism, highlighted tensions between City Hall and NYPD leadership, and fueled debate about manpower strains during the UN General Assembly.