In a jaw-dropping display of what critics are calling open encouragement of law-breaking, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani released a video Sunday telling illegal immigrants exactly how to dodge federal immigration authorities — even after a massive ICE operation in Chinatown was physically blocked by protesters.
Mamdani is now giving public instruction to illegals on how to evade ICE.
This is treason. Arrest Mamdani and try him.pic.twitter.com/RRtLnvajjB
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 7, 2025
Standing proudly before a hand-drawn “Know your rights” flip chart like a classroom activist, Mamdani — a self-described democratic socialist — declared himself the mayor of “more than 3 million immigrants,” ignoring that at least 412,000 of them are in the country illegally, according to the city’s own 2022 data.
“Last weekend, ICE attempted to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbors,” Mamdani said in the video posted on X. “As mayor, I’ll protect the rights of every single New Yorker. And that includes the more than 3 million immigrants who call this city their home.”
But then came the part that triggered outrage nationwide: Mamdani’s step-by-step explanation of how to shut ICE out.
“But we can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,” he insisted before launching into a legal how-to guide that many on the right say veers into aiding and abetting.
“ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” he said, flashing an example of such a warrant on-screen — then contrasting it with the “non-binding” documents agents sometimes present.
“You have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry,’ and the right to keep your door closed,” he continued.
And it didn’t stop there. Mamdani emphasized, “ICE is legally allowed to lie to you. But you have the right to remain silent. If you are being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you.”
He also reminded viewers that “You are legally allowed to film ICE, as long as you do not interfere with an arrest.”
For a mayor-elect who only weeks ago enjoyed what appeared to be a surprisingly friendly White House meeting with President Trump, the video signals a dramatic turn. With the Trump administration expected to restore strict federal immigration enforcement, City Hall and Washington now appear headed for a direct collision.
Mamdani tried to cast the standoff as a matter of civic liberty rather than public safety: “New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and when I’m mayor, we will protect that right,” he vowed.
His supporters may be cheering — but reactions on the right came fast and furious.
“Aiding abetting and advising criminals,” Liz Rios posted on X.
“This man is the best gift Democrats have ever handed to [the] GOP,” another user deadpanned.
Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security responded to requests for comment — perhaps unsurprising given the chaos left behind by last Saturday’s raid, when nearly 200 protesters physically blocked ICE officers from leaving a Lower Manhattan parking garage.
It was already the second major enforcement action in six weeks. The first, in October, ended with nine illegal aliens taken into custody — and signaled that ICE is ramping up regardless of City Hall’s defiance.
New Yorkers are about to witness an unprecedented showdown: a federal immigration crackdown on one side, and a socialist mayor-elect on the other, openly telling illegal immigrants how to evade the law.
