New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is giving keen advice to immigrants living in The Big Apple on their rights to refuse to speak to or comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following a failed raid in Manhattan.
In a video posted on X, Mamdani, a proud immigrant from Uganda, said, “We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,” giving step-by-step instructions on what immigrants have the right to do if approached by agents. “If you encounter ICE, these are the things that every New Yorker should know. First, ICE can not enter private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” he started, accompanied by an example.
“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.”
He continued to explain that migrants have the choice not to speak to federal immigration agents and advised on how to respond if put in handcuffs. “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,” Mamdani said.
The training video comes just days after New Yorkers were seen stopping ICE agents from detaining people on Canal Street close to the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. Concerned citizens were seen blocking trucks from leaving garages following the flopped raid, chanting, “ICE out of New York.”
As some on social media described Mamdani’s video as being helpful and praised him for the “calm, clear breakdown,” it didn’t take long for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to chime in. According to Fox News
, “ICE Barbie” claims the mayor’s helpful tips could be a violation of the Constitution. “If he were mayor, [he] could be violating the Constitution by giving advice on how to evade law enforcement and how to get away with breaking the law,” Noem said during an interview on “Hannity.”However, Mamdani is simply the mayor-elect until his swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Jan. 1.
In the meantime, the city’s first Muslim and youngest mayor has remained committed to protecting the
rights of all New Yorkers regardless of class or race. “New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters,” he said.RELATED CONTENT: Zohran Mamdani Centers Immigrants And Checks Trump After Defeating Andrew Cuomo In Race For Mayor