Mayor Mamdani says he supports abolishing ICE, calls for 'humanity' in dealing with immigration issues
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani returned to ABC's "The View" on Tuesday to discuss his first weeks in office and weighed in on the controversial surge by Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) across the country.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Mamdani about the calls by some Democrats to abolish ICE in light of their activities in places such as Minnesota, where an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
The 34-year-old mayor, who has vowed to protect New York immigrants, said he supports those calls.
"I am in support of abolishing ICE, and I'll tell you why: Because what we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist," said Mamdani, whose Tuesday appearance marked his first time on the show since becoming mayor in the past month.
Mamdani, a naturalized American citizen who was born in Uganda, has been critical of ICE for many years. Last year during his campaign, he said in a June interview that ICE is "a rogue agency, one that has no interest in laws, no interest in order."
The mayor echoed those sentiments on "The View" Tuesday.
"We're seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some sort of immigration law, but instead, what it is doing is terrorizing people no matter their immigration status, no matter the facts of the law, and no matter the facts of the case," Mamdani said.
"And I'm tired of waking up every day and seeing a new image of someone being dragged out of a car, dragged out of their home and dragged out of their life. What we need to see is humanity," he added.
Last week, the mayor said he was "outraged" after a New York City council employee was detained by ICE in Long Island during a routine immigration appointment.
"This is an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values," he said in a statement on X on Jan. 13. "I am calling for his immediate release and will continue to monitor the situation."
The Department of Homeland Security contended in a statement that the employee is in the U.S. illegally and has an alleged criminal history that includes an arrest for assault. The agency did not provide additional details on the assault arrest.
City officials, however, said the employee has legal status.
Mamdani was asked by "The View" hosts about his relationship with President Donald Trump following their cordial meeting in the White House after the mayor won his election.
The mayor said that it is his intention to be honest and direct with the president, especially when it came to immigration.
"It's terrifying to see what is happening in the name of public safety. I've said this to the president. These ICE raids, they are cruel, they are inhumane, [and] they do nothing to deliver that public safety," Mamdani said. "In fact, what they do is leave a sense of fear among so many."
When asked about Trump's threats to cut funding to sanctuary cities such as New York, Mamdani said he would fight for New Yorkers.
"What I said is that our values and our laws, they are not bargaining chips. I'm not looking to have a negotiation with New Yorkers' lives," he said.
Mamdani noted that sanctuary city laws have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike and "keep New Yorkers safe."
"I've told the president this directly, which is that what we are talking about is not people who have been convicted of serious crimes. We're talking about people whose crimes are simply being in New York City," he said. "And if they were to make good on this threat, it would rip the civic fabric of this city apart."
