Trump Threatens Arrest of New York Mayoral Candidate Mamdani

NEW YORK, NY — President Donald Trump threatened on July 1 to arrest New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani due to his stance on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Trump made these remarks during a press conference responding to a question about Mamdani’s pledge not to assist ICE in detaining undocumented immigrants.

“We don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump said.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic Socialist, responded by denouncing Trump’s comments as an attack on democracy. “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported, not because I have broken any law but because I refuse to let ICE terrorize our city,” he stated on social media.

Mamdani was born in Uganda and moved to New York as a child. He became a naturalized citizen in 2018. He is facing increasing scrutiny from Republican officials since winning the Democratic primary, with Rep. Andy Ogles calling for his denaturalization.

Ogles stated in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi that Mamdani should be investigated for potentially obtaining his citizenship through misrepresentation, citing past comments Mamdani made regarding solidarity with individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses.

At the press conference, Trump echoed Ogles, claiming there are suggestions that Mamdani may not be legally residing in the U.S. “We’re gonna look at everything,” he promised.

Mamdani has received support from progressive leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. His platform includes policies such as creating city-owned grocery stores and freezing rent. He aims to serve as New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Following Mamdani’s statement about ICE, Trump praised the current mayor, Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an Independent. Trump’s comments on Mamdani reflect ongoing tensions between federal immigration policies and local governance, particularly in sanctuary cities like New York.