New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew fierce criticism Friday after posting a Spanish-language video outlining what people should do if they encounter federal immigration officials.
“If you encounter ICE, these are your rights,” Mamdani says in Spanish at the start of the roughly 90-second video.
The mayor, who frequently uses social media to communicate with New Yorkers, says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents generally cannot enter a private residence without a judicial warrant. He advises viewers to check whether any document includes the words “United States District Court” along with a judge’s signature.
Mamdani also tells viewers they can ask agents to slide the warrant under the door.
For encounters with ICE in public, Mamdani says individuals have the right to remain silent. He recommends asking, “Am I free to go?” and cautions people against signing paperwork before speaking with an attorney.
The video includes New York City’s legal assistance hotline. Mamdani closes by saying New Yorkers have a “right to protest” and promising to defend it.
The message quickly became a target for Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators on social media.
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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, criticized the video on X, writing, “At no point in this video is anyone urged to abide by the laws of the United States,” and adding that it was not created “for the benefit of the people of the United States.”
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, described the video as “dangerous incitement full of disturbing falsehoods by communist terrorist supporter.” He said the statement could endanger lives.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., responded with a brief assessment of his own: “Unbelievable.”
Scott accused Mamdani of openly helping undocumented immigrants avoid ICE and weaken enforcement of immigration law. He also claimed that “radical Democrats” were trying to restore what he called President Biden’s “open border disaster.”
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., accused the mayor of using taxpayer-funded resources to explain in Spanish how undocumented immigrants could “evade accountability.”
LaLota argued that Biden-era border policies, ending the “Remain in Mexico” program, sanctuary-city rules and government-funded hotel stays, health care and legal services for undocumented immigrants were not acts of compassion but policy decisions. He said those measures were pushing the United States to resemble France and claimed House Democrats supported them.
“NYC is becoming more like Paris every day,” LaLota added.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, offered a single-word reaction to Mamdani’s video: “Treason.”