Mamdani says ICE raids are ‘inhumane,’ promises to shield city after Minneapolis shooting

New York mayor says ICE raids are ‘inhumane,’ promises to shield city after minneapolis deaths

• NYC Mayor Mamdani calls to abolish ICE after fatal shootings in Minneapolis
• He accuses ICE of deadly violence and fostering fear in US cities
• Investigations into both Minneapolis shootings are ongoing

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has renewed his call to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accusing federal immigration agencies of carrying out acts of deadly violence and fostering fear across American cities.

In a statement posted on X, Mamdani alleged that ICE was responsible for the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this month. “ICE murdered Renee Good in broad daylight,” he wrote. “Less than three weeks later, they killed Alex Pretti, shooting him 10 times. Every day, we watch as people are ripped from their cars, their homes, their lives. We can’t allow ourselves to look away from this cruelty. Abolish ICE.”

The mayor’s remarks followed two fatal encounters involving federal immigration officers in Minneapolis that have triggered protests and national scrutiny.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week in an interview aired Sunday, Mamdani described the situation in Minnesota as “horrific” and accused political leaders of dismissing what Americans are witnessing.

“I think it is horrific what we have seen there,” Mamdani said. “There are too many Americans who are being asked to not believe their own eyes, not believe their own ears, not believe their own realities.”

Referring to video footage of the shooting involving Renee Good, Mamdani said there was no alternative interpretation. “That’s why I described that as a murder,” he said. “There’s no other way to watch that video and come to a different conclusion.”

Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 7 while sitting in her car. Authorities said she was not the target of an immigration operation. Federal officials later alleged that Good attempted to ram officers with her vehicle, a claim disputed by video footage and witness accounts. Her death sparked weeks of protests in Minneapolis.

Less than three weeks later, Alex Pretti, also 37 and a U.S. citizen, was killed after being shot multiple times by at least one Customs and Border Protection agent during a separate encounter. Federal authorities claimed Pretti intended to harm officers, though videos recorded by bystanders do not show him brandishing a weapon.

Mamdani said the fear gripping Minneapolis is not confined to one city. “We know that the fear that so many are living with in Minneapolis, it’s a fear that New Yorkers are also living with, a fear of being terrorized,” he said. “And I will do everything in my power to ensure that we do not see that take place in New York City.”

He said he has raised concerns directly with President Donald Trump and criticized ongoing federal immigration operations. “These ICE raids − they are cruel, they are inhumane,” Mamdani said. “They do nothing to serve the interests of public safety.”

Pressed on how immigration laws would be enforced without ICE, Mamdani argued the agency is not essential to immigration governance. “You do it with a little bit of humanity,” he said. “You know, immigration existed long before ICE. ICE is a modern creation. I’m older than ICE.”

He accused the agency of operating without accountability. “ICE is an organization that cares little for the rules,” Mamdani said. “It’s an organization that operates with reckless impunity and seems to revel in the flouting of those kinds of rules.”

Mamdani said New York City would use every available tool to resist similar enforcement actions, including legal challenges and local policy measures. “Whether those tools are the utilization of the courts or it’s the tools of the bully pulpit or it’s the tools of our own city policies, we’re going to exhaust every option to protect New Yorkers,” he said.

Federal officials have defended their actions, and investigations into both Minneapolis shootings remain ongoing. Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security have not confirmed whether immigration enforcement operations will be expanded to New York.