Mamdani Issues Warning to New York Immigrants: 'ICE Is Legally Allowed to Lie to You'

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani released a video urging New Yorkers to understand their rights during encounters with federal immigration agents, as arrests in the city continue to spark protests from advocates.

"We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights," Mamdani said in the video shared online. He emphasized that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents cannot enter homes, schools, or private workplace areas without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.

"If ICE does not have a judicial warrant signed by a judge, you have the right to say, 'I do not consent to entry,' and the right to keep your door closed," he said. Mamdani cautioned that agents may show documents that resemble warrants but do not grant legal authority to enter. "ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent," he said.

He added that people can ask "Am I free to go?" repeatedly if being detained, and are legally allowed to film immigration enforcement as long as they do not interfere.

His message follows demonstrations after ICE agents detained people last week in Lower Manhattan. "New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support, and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters," he said.

The federal government has intensified enforcement in recent weeks but protesters have also hiked up their resistance. TIME Magazine reported last week that hundreds of protesters confronted agents in Chinatown as they prepared to launch a raid.

Videos from the scene showed demonstrators blocking vehicles before New York police arrived and several arrests were made. The Department of Homeland Security told TIME that "agitators" obstructed federal operations, while local advocates said communities were defending neighbors.

During the weekend hundreds gathered in Astoria after a father and his 6-year-old son were separated by ICE during a check-in. Multiple speakers there condemned the detentions and broader crackdown. Similar confrontations occurred during an October raid involving more than 50 federal agents in Lower Manhattan.

Mamdani, the city's first immigrant mayor in five decades, has vowed to uphold sanctuary rules and said he has raised the concerns of residents directly with President Donald Trump. "This city is also an immigrant city," he said. "And we will protect those New Yorkers."