Activists Rip Mamdani Over Worsening ‘Market of Sweethearts’ Problem
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting criticism as Queens residents demand immediate action against open-air prostitution, suspected human trafficking and other illegal activity along Roosevelt Avenue.
Community activists say conditions along the troubled commercial corridor have deteriorated since Mamdani took office in January, reversing some of the public-safety improvements achieved under former Mayor Eric Adams.
“The street activity is really off the charts,” said former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who joined approximately two dozen community leaders at a Saturday rally in Jackson Heights.
The demonstration took place along a notorious stretch known locally as the “Market of Sweethearts,” which extends through Jackson Heights, Corona and nearby neighborhoods.
“We had some solution or some betterment of the quality of life and public safety under our prior administration [of ex-Mayor Eric Adams], where we had Operation Restore Roosevelt [a multi-agency law enforcement and quality-of-life initiative], when the governor sent state troopers here, but right now, they have abandoned Roosevelt Avenue, and the crime is all coming back,” Monserrate told the New York Post.
Residents and local business owners say women are once again openly soliciting customers on sidewalks, while suspected brothels allegedly operate from storefronts and residential properties throughout Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona.
Activists argue that the problems became less visible under Adams because his administration committed police officers, inspectors and other city resources to sustained enforcement. They now contend that Mamdani’s City Hall has allowed that pressure to fade.
Rosa Sanchez, an organizer with Restore Roosevelt Avenue, is calling on Mamdani and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to step up enforcement, dismantle alleged brothels and prioritize the prosecution of suspected traffickers.
Residents have also protested outside properties they believe are being used for illegal commercial sex operations, demanding that authorities investigate and shut them down.
The Adams administration launched “Operation Restore Roosevelt” in October 2024 to combat prostitution, illegal vending, gang activity and persistent quality-of-life violations.
By June 2025, City Hall reported that the initiative had produced 2,501 arrests, including 397 involving prostitution-related offenses. Authorities also issued nearly 28,000 summonses and conducted hundreds of inspections targeting buildings and vendors.
According to the city’s figures at the time, major crime along the corridor declined by 28% compared with the previous year.
Adams and then-NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the operation combined enforcement with efforts to connect vulnerable individuals to social services. The strategy recognized that protecting potential victims and restoring public order are not mutually exclusive responsibilities.
Critics of Mamdani’s administration now say that sustained police and city-agency presence has diminished. However, the NYPD has not released updated Roosevelt Avenue arrest statistics comparable to those published during Operation Restore Roosevelt, and comprehensive public data has not yet established whether prostitution or trafficking has increased since Mamdani took office.
The controversy is nevertheless intensified by Mamdani’s political record.
While serving in the New York State Assembly, Mamdani co-sponsored legislation that would have decriminalized certain prostitution-related offenses between consenting adults.
During his 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani maintained that he did not support legalizing prostitution and excluded decriminalization from his stated City Hall agenda. His campaign said law enforcement should concentrate on traffickers and those who coerce people into prostitution while offering services to sex workers.
Mamdani has also argued that prostitution policy should be evaluated according to public-safety outcomes, rather than solely by the number of arrests.
Supporters of decriminalization claim criminal penalties may discourage vulnerable individuals from reporting abuse or exploitation. Opponents warn that weakening enforcement could expand the commercial sex trade, embolden criminal operators and make trafficking more difficult to detect.
For Roosevelt Avenue residents, however, the controversy is no longer an abstract ideological debate. They say visible prostitution, suspected trafficking, drug activity and illegal vending are directly affecting their neighborhoods, businesses and families.
Their demand is straightforward: restore public order, pursue traffickers and brothel operators, and stop treating basic neighborhood safety as an optional political priority.
Mamdani has not announced a replacement for Operation Restore Roosevelt or introduced a comparable initiative to address the growing community concerns.