There is no evidence that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is only approving licenses for Halal-compliant street vendors or that his administration shows preference for Halal vendors. 

Mamdani supported legislation passed in 2025 by the City Council to expand the number of licenses available to all street vendors.

During his campaign, Mamdani jokingly used the term “halalflation” to describe the rising cost of street food caused by a lack of permit availability in the city. This forces many street vendors to lease permits from individuals who already have them for much higher prices.