Instead of de-escalating tensions in New York City, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani made a special video encouraging immigrants to know their rights and residents to protest immigration enforcement in the city.
He posted the inflammatory video to X and other platforms on Sunday, saying “as mayor I will protect the rights of every single New Yorker.”
Mamdani, the controversial Democratic Socialist and first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York, will be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2026. He said everyone can stand up to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if “you know your rights” — a message he writes on a white board in the video.
Know your rights. Protect your neighbors.
New York is — and always will be — a city for all immigrants. pic.twitter.com/nuntRzgEwq
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) December 7, 2025
New York City is home to over 3 million immigrants, or 38% of the city’s total population, and illegal migrants flooded the city under the Biden administration. Besides the city’s sanctuary policies, migrants received food, housing and other assistance as local, state and federal officials funneled billions of dollars to the migrant crisis.
“Know your rights,” Mamdani wrote on X. “Protect your neighbors. New York is — and always will be — a city for all immigrants.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security fired back on Monday, sharing a news clip on X from Fox News interview with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“Dangerous rhetoric has DEADLY consequences,” DHS wrote on X. “Resisting arrest puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk. These activists will not slow us down or stop us. DHS law enforcement will continue to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country.”
Dangerous rhetoric has DEADLY consequences.
Resisting arrest puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk.
These activists will not slow us down or stop us. DHS law enforcement will continue to remove criminal illegal aliens from our country.… pic.twitter.com/uVv9bIlzXV
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) December 8, 2025
In the video, Mamdani tells New Yorkers that “ICE cannot enter a private space like a home, school or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
He holds up a document that shows what the judicial warrant should look like and another one he deems as fake.
“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 explains.
Displaying a document labeled “Appendix C Warrant of Removal/Deportation,” Mamdani continues: “Sometimes ICE will show you paperwork that looks like this and tell you that they have the right to arrest you. That is false. ICE is legally allowed to lie to you but you have the right to remain silent.”
He continues: “If you’re being detained you may always ask ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you. You are legally allowed to film ICE as long as you don’t interfere with an arrest.”
Mamdani concludes the 1-minute, 26-second video reminding New Yorkers and immigrants to remain calm and not to impede an investigation, resist arrest or run.
“One last thing: New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest. And when I’m mayor, we will protect that right. New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters.”
In a somewhat surprising move, Mamdani, who had stern words for President Donald Trump on election night, requested a meeting with Trump, and they appeared to have a cordial meeting on Nov. 21.
Mamdani vacillates between his “tough-guy” hate-Trump persona and his endearing “free stuff for everyone” social media shtick that helped him win the election. And he isn’t the first leftist politician to encourage people to defy federal immigration law and push back against ICE.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York’s 14th congressional district, actively campaigned with Mamdani and put out a webinar on how to evade and resist ICE.
On the West Coast, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have enacted mask bans for federal agents, filed nearly 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration, and openly encouraged “Rapid Response” networks to show up and record and resist ICE.
“The real problem is the safety risk,” McLaughlin said, noting skyrocketing assaults against federal law enforcement across the country. “A lot of that is coming from the resisting of arrest and that ultimately these migrants and illegal aliens are assaulting law enforcement to get out of arrest, so this is dangerous rhetoric right here.”
Outgoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams also pushed back on widespread immigration enforcement in the city due to its sanctuary policies but has worked with Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE to crack down on illegal gang members and criminal activity in the city.
In April 2025, two indictments were unsealed in the Southern District of New York, charging a total of 27 individuals, including six alleged current Tren de Aragua members and 21 members of a splinter group known as “Anti-Tren.” Several were arrested during raids in New York and other jurisdictions.
However, in response, the New York City Council filed a lawsuit against Adams’ administration over an executive order that would have allowed ICE to open an office on Rikers Island, an action the Council claimed was a political deal with President Trump.
With his term coming to an end, Adams signed two executive orders on Dec. 3 aimed at countering antisemitism and preventing city funds from supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as his “clash with Mamdani grows,” Fox News Digital reported.
Recent immigration raids on New York City’s Canal Street, where illegal immigrants openly sell counterfeit goods and illegal drugs on the sidewalk, have prompted protestors to create chaos and resist police and federal agents.
On Nov. 29, demonstrators swarmed into lower Manhattan to stop a possible ICE raid near Chinatown and SoHo, resulting in multiple arrests. The anti-ICE agitators gathered outside a parking garage and clashed with police, even carrying potted plants into the street as barricades, according to local reports.
But New Yorkers also protest outside the main federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan, which houses an ICE detention holding area, the FBI and an immigration court.
Several independent journalists have traced the protests to paid protestors and organizations such as the George Soros-backed Open Society Foundations and The People’s Forum. They regularly organize marches and protests for various causes, including the “free Palestine” movement and other radical left ideologies.
In September, Nick Shirley, a YouTuber who does man-on-the-street interviews and attends protests, exposed the aggressive migrants selling counterfeit goods on Canal Street. They threatened him and attacked his cameraman.
On Oct. 22, ICE raided the area and arrested nine illegal vendors with rap sheets including robbery, domestic violence, counterfeiting, drug trafficking and forgery.
Shirley posted a follow up video on X Monday, noting: “NYC’s Canal St has always been infamous for counterfeit goods… but now, due to mass migration, illegal migrants have taken over entire blocks with their illegal street markets. Along with selling counterfeit goods (which is illegal), vendors are also selling illegal substances. One mother messaged saying, “My 9-year-old son was offered drugs while walking with me.” These illegal migrants make “$700 a day,” all tax-free, while New Yorkers pay city, state, and federal taxes.”
🚨 CONFRONTING ILLEGAL MIGRANT SCAMMERS IN NYC (Full Video):
NYC’s Canal St has always been infamous for counterfeit goods… but now, due to mass migration, illegal migrants have taken over entire blocks with their illegal street markets.
Along with selling counterfeit goods… pic.twitter.com/VH4DRjg8HV
— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) December 8, 2025
Shirley recently returned to the same blocks with a New York City attorney, Joseph Sweeny. The illegal vendors were back out there with their fake goods, and they tried to bully and harass them for filming on a public sidewalk.
Shirley shared that video to Facebook on Dec. 4, adding: “NYC policies and judges don’t enforce the law on the illegal scammers/vendors, NYPD will arrest them but they are released back into the streets the next day. Locals are sick of these guys as they surround blocks of Manhattan creating all sorts of problems. Why does NYC continue to let this happen to their streets?”
