New York City’s next mayor, Zohran Mamdani, used his Wednesday morning speech to take a swipe at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, warning them against enforcing federal immigration law under President Trump’s administration.
Speaking at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, Mamdani announced his transition team — but the focus quickly shifted to blasting Trump’s immigration policies and the law enforcement officers tasked with carrying them out.
“My message to ICE agents and to everyone across this city is that everyone will be held to the same standard of the law. If you violate the law, you must be held accountable,” Mamdani said. “And there is sadly a sense that is growing across this country that certain people are allowed to violate that law, whether they be the president or whether they be the agents themselves.”
That message, which sounded more like an attack on law enforcement than a unifying call for leadership, stands in stark contrast to former Mayor Eric Adams, who at least worked with federal officials to maintain some level of order. The Justice Department conveniently dropped its corruption case against Adams, just as he began cooperating with the Trump administration on immigration.
Mamdani, meanwhile, built his campaign on embracing illegal immigration — visiting activist enclaves, recording campaign videos in multiple languages, and openly siding with those who defy federal law.
His rhetoric clearly energized the city’s progressive base, leading to the highest voter turnout for a New York City mayoral race since 1969 — a wave fueled by far-left enthusiasm rather than moderation.
Mamdani’s comments Wednesday morning left little doubt about his priorities. He plans to rein in ICE, not the chaos in his city. He blasted federal agents for doing their jobs — claiming they “interrogate children playing baseball” and “violently arrest people in immigration court.”
What he calls “accountability” is really a promise to make life harder for the men and women enforcing America’s immigration laws. And judging by his cheering supporters, New York City is perfectly fine with that.