Mamdani reminds immigrant New Yorkers they can refuse to comply with ICE

New York: New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has released a video on social media informing immigrants in the city of their rights when approached by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), days after federal agents conducted a raid in Manhattan’s Canal Street area near Chinatown. In the message, he pledged to defend the city’s roughly 3 million immigrants, saying that people can stand up to ICE if they are aware of their legal protections.

Mamdani explained that individuals in the US have the right not to speak to federal immigration agents, to record their actions as long as they do not interfere, and to refuse them entry into private spaces. He stressed that ICE officers cannot enter homes, schools or private areas of workplaces without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, and warned that agents are legally allowed to lie, so people should exercise their right to remain silent and keep asking, “Am I free to go?” if detained until they receive a clear answer.

His intervention follows recent demonstrations in Manhattan, where protesters gathered as ICE tried to detain people on Canal Street, echoing similar protests against an immigration sweep in the same neighbourhood last October. Mamdani, who will be sworn in as mayor on January 1, said New York would always welcome immigrants and vowed to fight daily to protect, support and celebrate them.

In his broader political outreach, Mamdani also met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office weeks earlier in what was described as a surprisingly cordial meeting, even as the Trump administration continues aggressive immigration enforcement operations in several US cities, including a recent campaign in New Orleans.

(Inputs from AP)