New York City Mayor Zohram Mamdani has lashed out at the Trump administration’s plan to increase the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city as part of the government’s anti-immigration initiative.
Reacting to a news report about the controversial plan, Mamdani vowed to support immigrants, saying, “We will not allow ICE or anyone else to spread fear in our communities.”
New York’s first Muslim mayor credited immigrants for the development and progress of soccer in the United States (US). He said: “Football would not exist without immigrants. Immigrants play and train, work in the stadiums, fill the stands and make celebrations like the World Cup possible.”
The 34-year-old social democratic mayor highlighted the fact that six of the players on the US men’s team are immigrants.
He described the Trump administration’s plan as an attempt to divide New Yorkers, adding: “As the world comes to our city, we will be proud of our immigrant neighbors and reject these attacks for what they are.”
This comes after President Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced an increase in the number of ICE agents in New York. In an interview with fox news, Homan said, “You’re going to see more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen in New York City. And it’s coming. I just reviewed an operational plan. I’m not going to tell you exactly when it’s going to happen, but it’s coming.”
This is expected to escalate the confrontation between the federal government and New York’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul. Last month, the governor signed a law banning law enforcement officers from wearing masks in the city.
It also prohibited local agents from participating in civil immigration enforcement activities.
