 "New York, a city of immigrants: Zohran Mamdani's immigration stance decoded")
Zohran Mamdani, who has become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, appears headed for confrontation with the White House after making immigrant protection one of his central campaign promises. In his victory speech on November 4, Mamdani said, “New York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
What does Mamdani’s immigrant-first stance mean for New York?
• Supports sanctuary-style policies to protect undocumented immigrants from federal enforcement.
• Promised legal defence funding for immigrants facing deportation.
• Vowed to stop ICE agents from carrying out removals within New York City.
• Framed opposition to Trump’s immigration agenda as both moral and political resistance.
• Sees New York as “a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and led by an immigrant.”
How did Mamdani connect with working families and immigrant voters?
The Democrat campaigned on pledges of universal child care, free bus rides, rent freezes for stabilised tenants, and affordable housing. But it was his promise to protect immigrants through legal defence funding and sanctuary-style measures that most resonated with working-class and immigrant voters.
President Donald Trump’s administration has warned that it will crack down on sanctuary cities, threatening to withhold federal funds and deploy more Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents against jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal orders.
Mamdani secured 50.4 per cent of the vote, winning over a million New Yorkers and defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in both the Democratic primary and the general election. Republican Curtis Sliwa finished far behind with just over 7 per cent. Trump had endorsed Cuomo during the race and warned that a Mamdani win could cost New York federal funding. The new mayor will take office in January.
What has Mamdani said about ICE and its powers?
Mamdani has been outspoken about the role of ICE, describing the agency as “a rogue agency, one that has no interest in laws, no interest in order,” in an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan on June 18.
After his primary win, Mamdani pledged to prevent ICE agents from carrying out removals in the city. “It’s where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism. To stop ICE agents from deporting our neighbours. And to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party. A party where we fight for working people with no apology,” he said on June 24.
What do former ICE officials say about Mamdani’s plans?
Former ICE agent Scott Mechkowski, who worked with the agency from the mid-1990s until 2019, said Mamdani’s statements were unlikely to translate into policy. “That was all a campaign strategy,” Mechkowski told Newsweek. “You're not going to stop the federal government from doing what they're charged with doing; it's just not going to happen.”
Where could Mamdani face his biggest test against ICE enforcement?
One place where Mamdani’s authority will be tested is inside 26 Federal Plaza, which houses New York City’s immigration courts. ICE officers and Border Patrol agents have been patrolling the halls and waiting outside courtrooms to detain migrants immediately after their hearings.
“Overcrowded cells. Unsanitary conditions. Limited access to food and water. These are the inhumane conditions that ICE has created at 26 Federal Plaza, which 11 of my elected colleagues sought to inspect today. Instead, they were arrested. They must be released right now,” Mamdani wrote in a post on X on September 18.
While the mayor can direct city resources to provide legal aid for migrants, he cannot control the actions of federal agents within courthouses. His leadership will test how far local resistance can go against federal enforcement powers.
How far will Mamdani go in challenging Washington?
Mamdani has said he will not allow Trump’s federal agents to act unchecked in the city. “If you want to pursue your promise to create the single largest deportation force in American history, or your promise to persecute and punish your political enemies, then you will have to get through me to do that here in New York City,” he told the media during his campaign.