NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani hasn’t even been sworn in as mayor of New York City, and he’s already hard at work by giving citizens of New York critical advice on how to deal with ICE agents.
Mamdani appeared in a video on X to inform people, particularly the 3 million-plus immigrants who live and work in NYC, on how to handle ICE agents. The purpose of his video was to provide accurate, helpful, and legal information as to what they can and should do if approached by the federal agents.
As you’d expect, the video caused outcry amongst vocal right-wing figures online as they argued that illegal immigrants are criminals, as per the New York Post.
What did Zohran Mamdani say?
“We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights” Mamdani states. He then goes on to list the things everyone should know. “First, ICE cannot enter into private spaces,” this includes homes, schools, or private areas of workplaces because, just like regular law enforcers, a warrant is required. Despite this, ICE agents have been recorded entering properties without warrants and even claiming they don’t need them.
Mamdani shows what a typical warrant would look like and explains that if they do not have one signed by a judge, you have the right to say, “I do not consent to entry.” He also explains that ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but as with any arrest, you have the right to remain silent. If being detained, you may also repeatedly ask, “Am I free to go?” until they answer.
It’s also perfectly legal to film ICE so long as the person recording doesn’t interfere with an arrest. Mamdani advised that people “do not impede their investigation, resist arrest, or run.”
The response to the video
Mamdani’s informative video was met with mixed reactions online. Plenty commended him for trying to educate the masses on what their rights are, especially when the Trump administration seems set on violating these rights while simultaneously hoping nobody will notice.
However, others slammed the mayor-elect for prioritizing immigrants over what they considered to be “actual” American citizens. “Then you ignore laws that you do not like? We should not bother to have borders or immigration laws?” Conservative political commentator Carmine Sabia responded.
Obviously, Trump supporters would find an issue with Mamdani educating the groups being targeted by ICE, as it makes it harder for them to keep doing what they’re doing. But then, only dictators would argue that keeping people informed of their legal rights is a bad thing…
Published: Dec 8, 2025 09:20 am