Khaberni - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched a scathing attack on Friday against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), accusing it of spreading "terror" among immigrants and engaging in practices he described as "cruel and conscience-shocking."
During New York City's first annual Interfaith Dialogue Iftar held at the public library with about 400 religious and community leaders in attendance, Mamdani stated that federal immigration officers "pull people from their cars, brandish weapons at the unarmed, and brutally tear families apart."
Mamdani described federal immigration policies as "a direct assault on humane and religious values," arguing that the actions of the immigration police do not serve justice nor protect the community, but instead sow fear.
He also described the Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a "rogue agency" nationwide.
Executive Order
In defense of New York's "sanctuary city" policy, Mamdani announced the signing of a new executive order that strengthens laws protecting immigrants.
The executive order also prohibits federal immigration officers from entering city properties without a judicial order, a move aimed at curbing the agency's practices within the city.
Mamdani also launched a "Know Your Rights" campaign to educate immigrants, which includes distributing more than 32,000 flyers and booklets in ten different languages through places of worship and religious institutions.
It should be noted that the violent tactics of the immigration police, alongside the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Priti—who were demonstrators opposing their presence and were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota—have sparked widespread outrage across the United States.
Since January 7, American cities have seen widespread protests against the deadly violence used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of its campaign against immigrants, which resulted in the deaths of two citizens in Minneapolis.
Since American President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025, thousands of federal agents, often armed and masked, have conducted raids in American cities to arrest undocumented immigrants.
