US President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his attacks on New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, warning he would have Mamdani arrested if, as mayor, he refuses to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Speaking on July 1 during a visit to a migrant detention center in Florida, Trump said: “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him,” adding that he would be “watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation.”
Trump also repeated a claim: “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally.”
Mamdani is a naturalised U.S. citizen, born in Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani, who immigrated to the U.S. when Zohran was seven.
Mamdani, currently a state assembly member, secured the Democratic nomination for mayor after an upset win over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Running on a progressive platform, he has pledged New York will not assist federal agencies like ICE in detaining undocumented immigrants—an approach consistent with longstanding “sanctuary city” policies.
“There is no federal legal obligation for state and local jurisdictions to help enforce immigration laws,” according to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Mamdani responded on social media: “Trump’s statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”
The clash highlights a deeper national fight over immigration enforcement—and reflects the xenophobic backlash Mamdani has faced. After his victory, Rep. Andy Ogles, a Republican from Tennessee, called for Mamdani to be stripped of citizenship and deported, derisively calling him “little muhammad” in reference to his Muslim faith.
Trump has long made immigration a political cornerstone. As president, he sent the National Guard to assist ICE in Los Angeles raids. The Justice Department under his first term sued the city to halt its sanctuary policies. Those moves intensified tensions, with California officials arguing the raids triggered violent protests and property damage.
Now, Trump’s threat to arrest a sitting state lawmaker and top municipal candidate marks a striking escalation. It also comes amid broader attempts by Republicans to brand Mamdani a radical. Trump recently called him a “radical left lunatic” and wrongly labelled him a communist on Fox News. In fact, Mamdani identifies as a democratic socialist—someone who seeks to reform capitalism via democratic means, not abolish it outright.
New York Democrats quickly pushed back. Governor Kathy Hochul wrote on X, “I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States—if you threaten to unlawfully go after one of our neighbors, you’re picking a fight with 20 million New Yorkers, starting with me.”
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine added, “This is not normal. This is not acceptable. These are the words of an unhinged would-be dictator.”
Interestingly, Trump also voiced support for Mamdani’s rival, Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent after skipping the Democratic primary amid a corruption scandal. Trump said, “I helped him out a little bit. He had a problem.”
That “problem” refers to corruption charges brought by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Those charges were controversially dropped by the Trump Justice Department, with officials arguing the case interfered with Adams’ ability to execute immigration enforcement priorities. Several prosecutors resigned in protest. Adams has denied wrongdoing or making any deals with Trump’s administration.
“That was a Biden indictment,” Trump claimed without evidence. “I said, ‘Don’t feel bad, I got indicted five times.’”
Adams is now facing a crowded general election field, including Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and a possible independent bid by Andrew Cuomo.
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