NYC mayor-elect Mamdani releases ICE encounter rights video
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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani released a video Sunday outlining the rights of New Yorkers when confronted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following an attempted raid in Manhattan, and vowed that his administration would protect immigrant communities while preserving the city’s constitutional right to protest.
The video comes as immigration enforcement in New York faces renewed scrutiny and underscores how Mamdani plans to oppose federal actions that she says threaten immigrant communities and demands that New Yorkers be prepared, informed and confident in defending their legal rights.
In the video, Mamdani begins by recalling the ICE raid to detain immigrants in Manhattan last weekend.
“As mayor, I will protect the rights of every New Yorker, and that includes the more than 3 million immigrants who call this city home,” he said. “But if you know your rights, we can all stand up to ICE.”
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New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani speaks at a press conference in the New York City borough of Queens on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. (Heather Khalifa/AP Photo)
He then offered guidance to immigrants who might encounter ICE.
“First of all, ICE cannot enter private spaces, such as your home, school, or private area of your workplace, without a warrant signed by a judge,” Mamdani said. he advised. “Unless ICE has a judicial warrant signed by a judge, you have the right to say ‘I’m denying entry’ and keep your door closed.'”
He noted that ICE could file paperwork claiming it has the authority to make arrests, but “that’s false.”
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“ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent,” the mayor-elect said. “If you’re being detained, you always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ you may ask. over and over again until he answers you.”
Mamdani also said people are “legally allowed to film” ICE agents as long as they do not interfere with the arrest.
“It is important to remain calm during any interaction with ICE or law enforcement. Do not hinder their investigation, resist arrest, or flee,” he said.
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New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (left) and President Donald Trump appear during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on November 21, 2025. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Mamdani closed his speech by emphasizing New Yorkers’ constitutional right to protest.
“New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and we will protect that right when I become mayor,” he said. “New York will always be welcoming to immigrants, and I will fight every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters.”
The video comes more than two weeks after the mayor-elect met with President Donald Trump and appeared to chart a new path in their relationship as they found common ground on affordability issues and improving conditions in New York.
Despite this meeting, Mamdani reaffirmed New York’s sanctuary city status in a speech at a church in the Bronx.
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“I shared directly with the president that New Yorkers want to abide by the laws of our city, and our city’s laws say in our sanctuary city policies that the city government can engage with the federal government on approximately 170 serious crimes,” Mamdani said last month. “The concern goes beyond these crimes; there are many New Yorkers who are arrested, they are detained, they are regularly deported for the crime of failing to appear in court.”
“As the next mayor of this city, my focus will be on protecting the immigrants who call this city home,” the mayor-elect added.
