New York City's mayor-elect, the Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, has ignited a fierce political and legal controversy after publicly advising the city's immigrant population on how to resist federal immigration authorities.
Mamdani's Controversial 'Know Your Rights' Guidance
In a video posted to social media platform X on Sunday, Mamdani directly addressed New York's more than three million immigrants following a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Chinatown. The raid was reportedly disrupted by protesters.
"Last weekend, ICE attempted to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbours," Mamdani stated. "As mayor, I'll protect the rights of every single New Yorker. And that includes the more than three million immigrants who call this city their home."
He then delivered his core message: "But we can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights." The incoming mayor, who assumes office next month, proceeded to scribble "Know Your Rights" on a whiteboard.
The Specific Advice and the Immediate Backlash
Mamdani's guidance included instructing individuals that ICE agents cannot enter private spaces like homes or workplaces without a judicial warrant. He emphasised the right to refuse consent to entry and to keep doors closed. He displayed an example of non-binding paperwork agents might show, warning, "ICE is legally allowed to lie to you."
He advised on the right to remain silent, to repeatedly ask "Am I free to go?" if detained, and the right to film ICE operations without interference. He concluded by affirming New Yorkers' constitutional right to protest, vowing to protect it.
The video was swiftly condemned online. Political commentator Carmine Sabia accused Mamdani of ignoring "laws that you do not like," questioning the point of borders. Other X users labelled the advice as "aiding, abetting and advising criminals." A recurring criticism was that a city mayor lacks the authority to nullify federal immigration law, with one noting, "Illegal aliens have no more right to be in New York than anywhere else in the USA."
Context: A Campaign Promise and Rising Tensions
This incident is not isolated. Mamdani has long campaigned on a platform of defying ICE and protecting city residents from their operations. The advice follows a tense incident in Chinatown where over 150 demonstrators attempted to block an ICE sting using a barricade of rubbish bins and plant pots.
That protest turned violent, with objects thrown into streets and confrontations with vehicles, leading to NYPD using mace and making arrests. Similar protests disrupted an ICE operation targeting illegal street vendors on Canal Street in October.
Interestingly, while former President Donald Trump once threatened to arrest Mamdani, he struck a conciliatory tone after a recent meeting, expressing hope he would be "a really great mayor."
The episode sets the stage for a contentious relationship between the new socialist leadership of America's largest city and federal immigration enforcement agencies, highlighting deep national divisions over immigration policy.
