New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would do everything in his power to prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from being deployed at polling places in his city, in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
When asked what he would do if ICE agents showed up at polling places for November's midterm elections, Mamdani said, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that is not the case. I think it speaks to a vision of this country where democracy is something to be suppressed, as opposed to something to be protected."
The mayor said, "I think that what we are seeing time and time again, is an attempt to utilize ICE for all of the other functions of government that Republicans are unable to fund because they don't want to ensure that these kinds of quality of services continue across the country."
When asked if he had raised the issue with President Donald Trump, Mamdani said, "I've said to the president ICE has nothing to do with elections. I've said to him time and time again that ICE is a cruel and inhumane agency, and that here in New York City, we are focused on delivering public safety. I talk about affordability every single day."
Mamdani downplayed suggestions that he has found a better way than other Democrats to navigate his relationship with Trump, saying, "To be honest with you, I'm lucky in that I have something that no one else does, which is that I'm from New York City. And New York City holds a very special place for him, as well as for me."
The mayor said, "We're both from this same city. And it means that our conversations are not just of the scale that is typical with the president, but also granular about even the things as specific as zoning law changes in Midtown Manhattan."
Mamdani added, "I think speaks to the fact that Donald Trump is not just the president of this country. He's also someone who's been a New Yorker for his entire life, and there is an investment in this city doing well."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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