New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a video to X instructing illegal immigrants on how to avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and outlining what he described as their legal rights during encounters with federal officers.
Speaking in Spanish with English subtitles, Mamdani told viewers that ICE agents cannot legally enter private spaces, including homes, hospitals, churches, and private areas of workplaces, without a judicial order signed by a judge.
“If you encounter ICE, these are your rights,” Mamdani said. “First, ICE cannot legally enter private spaces without a judicial order. These spaces include your home, hospitals, churches, and private areas of your workplace.”
Mamdani told illegal immigrants to check any document ICE agents present for the words “United States District Court” and a judge’s signature. He said that if agents lack such an order, people can tell them they “do not consent” to entry.
“Second, you have the right to remain silent. If ICE stops you on the street, ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ If the agent says yes, walk away calmly. Speak with a lawyer before signing any documents or making any decisions about your immigration status or case,” Mamdani continued. “Third, you are not alone. Anyone can call the city’s immigration legal support line.”
Mamdani, born in Uganda and a naturalized U.S. citizen since his parents brought him to America at age seven in 1991, won the New York mayoralty with a coalition of migrants, Muslims, progressives, college graduates, Latinos, and black voters. He has previously referred to criminal illegal aliens as New Yorkers.
Mamdani also joined roughly 100 Democratic officials across New York state in sending a letter asking parking lot and parking garage owners to tell ICE agents they are not welcome on their property. That letter followed an incident involving Oscar Belgal, a criminal illegal alien who authorities say tried to use his vehicle to run down ICE agents attempting to arrest him.
The video surfaced as FBI agents and New York state officials raided dozens of adult care centers across the state as part of a Medicaid fraud investigation, according to Fox5NY.
