Many people, including the current New York Mayor and Democrat Eric Adams, have accused Mamdani of wanting to legalize or decriminalize sex work. Opponents have repeatedly raised the topic, warning that such policies could increase prostitution and sex trafficking in New York City.

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DW Fact check: Misleading. Mamdani has often been vague about his position on sex work and has not always publicly emphasized his stance — sex work is also not singled out as a topic on his campaign website. When asked, he confirmed being in favor of decriminalizing sex work — but not in favor of legalizing it. In an interview on NBC New York, he said: "I have never called for the legalization of prostitution. […] My policy is to actually take on sex trafficking, to have a zero tolerance for violence against women and to follow the advice of district attorneys that we have here in New York City […] having said that, prosecuting women for prostitution is something that actually leads to less safety." On Fox 5 NY, he said, "When we look at the findings of whether it be the World Health organization or the United Nations working group on the Safety of Girls and Women, we find that decriminalization is one that actually provides the most safety for sex workers." It becomes clear that Mamdani differentiates between decriminalization and legalization. Decriminalization for him seems to mean the removal of criminal penalties for sex work between consenting adults, so no more arrests and prosecutions of sex workers and potentially their clients. Meanwhile, a full legalization and regulation of the industry would mean a much more profound change. It is also important to emphasize that Mamdani's proposal does not seek to increase prostitution and sex trafficking, but the opposite, as he says. His claims are backed by international organizations like the World Health Organization WHO and the United Nations (UN). A UN guidance paper from 2023, for example, confirms his statements and also describes the different forms and levels of decriminalization and legalization and their advantages and disadvantages. The US civil rights organization ACLU reviewed empirical research on the impacts of decriminalization and criminalization in 2020 and confirmed that criminalization "increases the risk of violence and threatens the safety of sex workers" while decriminalization "can lead to greater access to health care and improved health." The impact on trafficking remains unclear.

Reviewed by Deutsche Welle ↗ · November 4, 2025