NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to guests during commemoration of MLK day at the National Action Network in New York City, U.S., January 19, 2026. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
(New York, New York) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stunned viewers Tuesday after using a friendly, gushing appearance on ABC’s The View to call for the complete abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“I am in support of abolishing ICE,” Mamdani told the hosts, claiming the federal agency has “no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist.” He went on to argue that ICE agents do nothing to improve public safety and instead pose a threat to the city’s social fabric.
Mamdani warned that deportation raids would “rip” New York City apart, framing immigration enforcement as an attack on residents whose only “crime,” he said, is being in the city. He pledged to uphold the city’s sanctuary laws, even if it means risking federal funding cuts from the Trump administration.
The socialist mayor also doubled down on his inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the fatal shooting of Renee Good, again referring to the incident as “murder” by an ICE agent – a characterization that has drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement and federal officials.
“What I’ve said is that our values and our laws — they’re not bargaining chips,” Mamdani insisted, signaling he has no intention of cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
