Zohran Mamdani, the newly-elected mayor of New York City in the US, shared a video on Sunday on social media and told migrants that they have the right to speak to or refuse to speak to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The video was shared just days after a raid in Manhattan by federal agents. Mamdani vowed to protect the city’s 3 million migrants, saying, “If you know your rights, we can all face ICE together.”
He clarified that people can choose not to talk to federal agents, videotape them and deny their requests to enter private spaces if the agent does not have a judicial warrant signed by a judge. The mayor’s statement came a week after ICE tried to detain people on Canal Street near New York’s Chinatown, where protesters protested. “ICE has legal permission to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent,” Mamdani said, assuring that New York will always welcome immigrants and protect their rights.