New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said he may arrest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if he determines they are breaking the law.
During an interview with MSNOW Senior Political and National Reporter Jacob Soboroff, Mamdani was asked about how he intends to follow through on his promise to help block President Trump’s policy of mass deportation of illegal aliens residing in New York City.
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
SOBOROFF: I’ve also heard you say that no one is above the law and anyone can be held accountable, and that goes for the president of the United States, and it also goes for ICE agents.
I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but is there a scenario in which the NYPD, under you, could arrest ICE agents on the streets of New York for their behavior towards immigrants?
MAMDANI: My focus is for the NYPD to not be assisting ICE in their immigration enforcement and to actually be following the policies of sanctuary city law.
SOBOROFF: So, in other words, there is a circumstance in which if an ICE agent violates someone’s rights here in New York City, they could be arrested by the police department?
MAMDANI: I think if an ICE agent is breaking the law, then that is a law that they should be held accountable to.
Watch the clip below:
Zohran Mamdani says he will not allow NYPD to assist ICE in NYC.
When asked about ICE entering the subways, Mamdani says it’s his job to “make sure that doesn’t take place.”
He says, “what New Yorkers need from a federal administration is the kind of partnership that will… pic.twitter.com/Ej36h2iig9
— Wall Street Mav (@WallStreetMav) December 10, 2025
Mamdani, who won the mayoral race in a relative landslide, has also said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York City.
“I’ve said time and again that I believe this is a city of international law, and being a city of international law means looking to uphold international law,” he said.
“And that means upholding the warrants from the International Criminal Court, whether they’re for Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin.”
Netanyahu taunts Zohran Mamdani, saying he’ll ‘come to New York’ after mayor-elect vowed to arrest Israel PM https://t.co/kYxXrwFwW3 pic.twitter.com/axTiPKAOhL
— New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2025
Governor Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, has admitted he does not hold the power to do this.
