Liberals who worried that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Oval Office lovefest with President Donald Trump signaled even a hint of federal cooperation ahead can rest easy. There’s no danger of that — none.
The Democratic socialist released a video Sunday making clear he remains fully committed to obstructing the Trump administration’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants from the city he will soon lead. He offered guidance to the “more than 3 million immigrants who call this city their home” on what to do if they encounter ICE.
[Note: According to 2022 data from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the most recent available numbers, approximately 412,000 — of the estimated 3 million immigrants who live in New York City — entered the U.S. illegally.]
Mamdani began by referencing the agency’s attempt “to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbors” the previous weekend and emphasized that “we can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights.”
He proceeded to instruct viewers on “the things that every New Yorker should know.”
“First,” he said, “ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. That looks like this. If ICE does not have a judicial warrant signed by a judge, you have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry and the right to keep your door closed.'”
The mayor-elect continued:
Sometimes ICE will show you paperwork that looks like this and tell you that they have the right to arrest you. That is false. ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent.If you’re being detained, you may always ask, “Am I free to go?” repeatedly until they answer you.You are legally allowed to film ICE as long as you do not interfere with an arrest.It is important to remain calm during any interaction with ICE or law enforcement. Do not impede their investigation, resist arrest, or run.One last thing, New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and when I’m mayor, we will protect that right. New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters.
Let’s get this straight. These individuals have, at a minimum, violated U.S. federal immigration law to enter the country, and some may have committed additional crimes. Yet an elected official — who will soon swear an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution — is openly urging them to obstruct federal law enforcement officers.
This is where we’re at in America today: leaders of sanctuary states and cities openly ignore federal law simply because they disagree with it. That is not principled governance — it’s selective obedience. A society cannot thrive when its elected officials decide which laws they feel like following and which they can discard for political theater. When those in power treat the rule of law as optional, they don’t just undermine federal authority, they undermine the stability and trust that hold the entire country together.
One X user summed it up perfectly:
This isn’t compassion, it’s chaos. Mamdani’s video isn’t about rights—it’s a blueprint for obstruction, sabotaging ICE’s ability to target traffickers, cartels, and violent offenders. His sanctuary extremism blocks federal-local coordination, turning NYC into a magnet for criminal networks while inviting costly lawsuits.This isn’t leadership—it’s ideological arson, burning down public safety to fuel his activist brand. New Yorkers pay the price for his performative defiance.
But many others applauded Mamdani for his compassion. Here are several responses to the video on YouTube:
Finally an honest politician who actually cares about the basic Human rights of people instead of calling any foreigner an ‘illegal alien’.Thank you, Zohran!!!! I am proud to have you as mayor. If these two ladies didn’t come up to my apartment (a six floor walkup) and tell me about you I never would have known who you are.. Also, they said they went to school with you.God be with you Zohran. You are blessing to New Yorkers. I am from Pennsylvania and support your effort for New Yorkers.
This is what New Yorkers voted for in a free and fair election. We’ll see how it turns out for them.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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