Manhattan Raid Sparks Fury: Mamdani Unveils Rights Guide For 3 Million New Yorkers

A controversial ICE raid near Chinatown triggered protests across Manhattan last week, but NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani responded with a forceful online message aimed directly at the city's immigrant communities.

As outrage grew following dozens of arrests on Canal Street, Mamdani posted a video outlining what residents should do if confronted by federal agents.

His message, part legal guide, part rallying cry, urged New Yorkers to stay calm, assert their rights, and support one another amid what he called increasing federal intimidation.

'Know Your Rights. Protect Your Neighbours'

When crowds thonged Canal Street, shouting slogans of justice, Mamdani released the video on a call to the three million immigrants who called New York their home, to stand up and acknowledge their rights, despite federal intimidation, outlining several fundamental rights immigrants should remember if they encounter ICE agents, emphasising that 'knowledge is power.'

'We can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,' Mamdani stated.

'First, ICE cannot enter your private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,' he said, showing a document on screen, a Search and Seizure Warrant of a Californian Court.

Mamdani said that if ICE doesn't have a search warrant signed by a judge, New Yorkers have the right to say, 'I do not consent to entry,' and to 'keep their doors closed.'

Likewise, Mamdani added that ICE will show paperwork of 'Appendix C: Warrant of Removal or Deportation,' with a note at the bottom saying, 'This ICE warrant is not legally sufficient to allow immigration agents into homes or the non-public areas of facilities, buildings, organisations, businesses, or other premises.'

The mayor-elect told viewers that ICE may say to them that they have the right to arrest you, but refute claims on the document.

'That is false,' he said in the clip. Adding, 'ICE is legally allowed to lie to you. But, you have the right to remain silent.'

Mamdani advised New Yorkers to repeatedly ask, 'Am I free to go?' in any detention attempt.

In addition, he encouraged residents to record interactions with ICE, provided they are done safely and without interfering with law enforcement activity.

'You are legally allowed to film ICE as long as you do not interfere with an arrest,' he said and reminded citizens to remain calm and resist the urge to impede, resist arrest, or run.

Mamdani concluded that New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest.

He vowed that when he's mayor, they will protect that right and that New York will always welcome immigrants.

Mamdani has expressed severe criticism of ICE, calling it a rogue agency that is not interested in laws or order, as reported by Newsweek.

He has already committed to utilising mayoral authority to prevent ICE from deporting New York residents and to make the city a model of progressive policy.

'And I will fight each day, and every day, to protect, support and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters,' he ended the clip.

ICE Raid Sparks Outrage in Manhattan

The raid was a component of a larger federal crackdown, which has seen ICE agents raid several cities in the US, targeting undocumented immigrants in what critics have referred to as aggressive and mostly indiscriminate sweeps.

According to The New York Times, the situation in New York, where immigrant businesses and culture centre on Canal Street near Chinatown, was a community hotspot of outrage.

The resistance has led the government to abandon what could have been its second-largest operation in Manhattan in weeks, according to a report by The Times.

'It's really despicable,' Christopher Marte, a Democratic city council member, told the New York Times.

Protesters gathered several hours after the raid, blocking roads and seeking justice on the part of federal authorities.

A similar immigration arrest by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) swept the neighbourhood last October and arrested nine people allegedly living in the US illegally.

Four of the nine were arrested and held for nearly 24 hours without any charges.