Socialist Mayor Mamdani bashes ICE after chaotic protest leads to arrests: ‘Cruel and inhumane’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ripped into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a crowd of anti-ICE demonstrators attempted to disrupt the arrest of an illegal immigrant accused of assault and drug possession, according to a local outlet.
Mamdani, a prominent socialist and immigrant politician, told Gothamist on Sunday that he had not seen videos circulating online of the anti-ICE protesters at the hospital, but said, "I've said time and time again, ICE raids are cruel and inhumane."
He added, "They do nothing to serve in the interest of public safety," per the outlet.
Nine demonstrators were detained Saturday night after protests erupted in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood over ICE’s arrest of Chidozie Wilson Okeke, an illegal immigrant from Nigeria with previous arrests on assault and drug possession charges, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Mamdani was not the only New York City politician to criticize the ICE operation.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso posted on X that "ICE’s presence in Bushwick is deeply alarming."
He encouraged followers to report federal agents, writing, "If you see ICE in your neighborhood, call or text the Hands Off NYC hotline."
Reynoso applauded the demonstrators, writing, "To our neighbors who quickly mobilized last night, thank you for making it loud and clear that ICE is not welcome in Brooklyn."
Democratic state Sen. Julia Salazar, who represents Brooklyn, also posted on X encouraging residents to report ICE agents’ presence. She also called it "concerning" that so many New York Police Department officers were deployed for what she called "clearly a justified gathering by local residents."
According to DHS, Okeke refused to comply with ICE agents' commands to exit his car and attempted to hit them with the vehicle. He is accused of being "physically combative" and attempting to punch and elbow ICE agents.
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"Our officers followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to make the arrest," DHS said in a statement.
After his arrest, Okeke was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center for a medical evaluation. Okeke "remained non-compliant during the medical evaluation, throwing himself to the floor and screaming," DHS said, adding that he was eventually cleared by medical staff.
Okeke entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2023 and overstayed his visa that required him to leave the country by Feb. 26, 2024, DHS said.
Video shows ICE agents dragging Okeke out of the hospital following his medical evaluation.
During the medical evaluation, a crowd of anti-ICE protesters gathered outside the hospital. DHS said the group damaged several ICE vehicles and assaulted agents, causing minor injuries.
New York City Councilmember Sandy Nurse, a Democrat, posted on X that she was among the crowd of protesters on Saturday night from 11 p.m. to 3 in the morning. She referred to the arrest as a "kidnapping," writing, "We did not have any information about the person ICE had detained, although we tried many times to get information."
She observed that through coordination with the NYPD, ICE was able to transport the arrestee back into federal vehicles and depart. Nurse thanked the New Yorkers "who dropped everything and showed up to demand ICE out of our neighborhood." She also encouraged locals to report ICE agents’ presence in the area.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Reynoso, Salazar and Nurse for comment.
Mamdani has previously said on ABC’s The View, "I am in support of abolishing ICE."
"What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist," he continued. "We’re seeing a government agency that is supposed to be enforcing some kind of immigration law, but instead what it’s doing is terrorizing people — no matter their immigration status, no matter the facts of the law, no matter the facts of the case."
Of the nine people taken into custody on Saturday night, eight were arrested and charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, the NYPD said. One person was issued a summons and released.