‘Know your rights’: NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani urges immigrants to assert rights after alleged ICE raid

Mamdani’s ICE warning to immigrants

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Sunday shared a video message outlining what he said were immigrants’ rights if approached by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), after claiming agents had attempted a raid on Manhattan’s Canal Street last weekend.

“Last weekend, ICE attempted to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbours,” Mamdani said in the video posted on X. He said his administration would stand up for all New Yorkers, including the more than three million immigrants living in the city.

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

Mamdani encouraged residents to familiarise themselves with their legal protections during encounters with immigration officers. “ICE cannot enter private spaces like your home, school, or non-public areas of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” he said, holding up examples of documents he said are often shown by officers despite not meeting that standard.

“You have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry,’ and the right to keep your door closed,” he added. He also warned that ICE agents are permitted under law to lie during such encounters, and advised individuals to use their right to remain silent. “If you are being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you,” he said.

The mayor-elect also noted that New Yorkers may legally record ICE activity provided they do not obstruct an arrest, and stressed that residents have a constitutional right to protest. “When I’m mayor, we will protect that right,” Mamdani said.

Mamdani is due to be sworn in as mayor on January 1, 2026.