Edwin Raymond sworn in as New York City’s first Haitian American sheriff

Edwin Raymond, the Haitian American former NYPD lieutenant tapped by Mayor Zohran Mamdani to lead the New York City Sheriff’s Office, was formally sworn in last Tuesday during a ceremony at Brooklyn College, becoming the first Haitian American New Yorker to hold the post.

New York Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath of office, while Mamdani delivered remarks recognizing the significance of the appointment.

The swearing-in fell on the same day Temporary Protected Status expired for more than 300,000 Haitians nationwide, including nearly 50,000 Haitian New Yorkers, adding weight to the ceremony as many families in the community face renewed uncertainty over their immigration status.

Mamdani used the occasion to reaffirm the city’s support for Haitian New Yorkers and to renew his call for Congress to pass permanent protections for TPS holders.

“Anyone who thinks that they can push Haitian New Yorkers out of this city, out of this country — ask me where Haitian New Yorkers are going to go. The only answer is up,” Mamdani said.

The mayor also told the crowd that City Hall, the attorney general’s office, the public advocate and the City Council all stand behind the community as it navigates the fallout of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the federal government to end TPS for Haitians. He encouraged anyone affected by the termination to seek free, confidential legal help through the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Mamdani also reflected on Raymond’s path from his childhood in East Flatbush as the son of Haitian immigrants to nearly two decades in the NYPD, where he rose from officer to lieutenant and commanding officer of Community Affairs in Brooklyn North. Raymond became a nationally recognized voice for police accountability after speaking out against arrest quotas within the department — advocacy he detailed in his 2023 memoir, “An Inconvenient Cop.”

Before his appointment as sheriff, Raymond served as the nation’s first social justice liaison in the New York Attorney General’s Office under James.

“Under my leadership, the sheriff’s office, as a division within the broader Department of Finance, led by Commissioner Lee, will uphold the law, protect the public interest, and deliver the services our city deserves,” Raymond said.

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