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New York’s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, posted a social media video this week telling immigrants to “know your rights” when confronted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, advice that was framed as a call to resist federal enforcement activity. The message, released days after an ICE operation in Manhattan, walked viewers through when agents need a judicial warrant and encouraged people to film encounters while declining to answer questions.
Mamdani went further in the clip, warning that ICE is “legally allowed to lie” and urging residents to repeatedly ask “Am I free to go?” if detained, while stressing not to consent to entry into homes or private workplaces without a judge’s signature. Those are not just legal tips for law‑abiding green card holders and naturalized citizens; the video’s broad language makes clear it applies to anyone who self-identifies as an immigrant in the city.
Let’s be blunt: telling people how to evade federal immigration enforcement is a political stunt that crosses into enabling. Americans who obey the law deserve a mayor who upholds the rule of law rather than running interference for those here unlawfully, and city officials should not be distributing what amounts to a playbook for avoiding capture.
Mamdani insists he will protect the city’s more than 3 million immigrants and vows to defend their constitutional right to protest once he takes office on January 1, but protecting constitutional rights is a far cry from telling people how to thwart lawful arrests. There is a legitimate debate over federal enforcement tactics, but handing out instructions that could impede lawful deportations puts officers, victims, and neighborhoods at risk.
This isn’t just local theater — it invites a constitutional clash that Washington should take seriously. President Trump and federal authorities have made clear they will not tolerate city policies that obstruct federal law enforcement, and New Yorkers should brace for legal battles over federal versus municipal authority if Mamdani follows through.
Conservative citizens must call this what it is: a prioritization of ideology over public safety. Demand accountability from the mayor-elect, support law enforcement’s ability to do its job, and push back hard against sanctuary-minded policies that reward lawbreaking and make neighborhoods less safe.
If Mamdani wants to govern rather than galvanize a national protest movement, he should start by backing laws that keep New Yorkers safe instead of giving instructions that make it easier for criminals to hide from federal agents. Patriots who love this country and respect the rule of law will not stand by while elected officials hand out tips on how to get away with breaking our immigration laws.
