'ICE should be abolished': Zohran Mamdani rejects Democratic concerns on immigration

WASHINGTON, DC: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani brushed aside Democratic concerns over the political cost of the “abolish ICE” slogan and urged the party to embrace a more uncompromising vision on immigration.

His remarks pushed back against warnings from some Democrats about the language and highlighted a growing debate within the party over how aggressively to challenge federal immigration enforcement.

Zohran Mamdani defends calls to abolish ICE

Mamdani raised the issue during an appearance on MSNBC’s 'The Weekend' while discussing ongoing protests outside the ICE detention facility known as Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.

Pointing to conditions at the facility, Mamdani argued that the agency could not be reformed.

“This is partially why I have put forward a vision alongside so many others to say that ICE should be abolished, that there is no way to reform this kind of cruelty that we’re seeing endemic in the way that immigration is being enforced across the country,” he said.

Mamdani also defended New York City's approach to immigration enforcement.

“When it comes to our city, we are proud of our sanctuary city policies. We are proud of the policies we’ve put forward and also the executive orders we’ve put forward to ensure that every single agency is complying with those policies,” he said.

The sharpest exchange came when host Eugene Daniels asked what he would say to Democrats who believe phrases such as “abolish ICE” hurt the party politically. 

“I think we’ve listened to them before, and look where we are,” Mamdani replied.

Mamdani argues policy delivery beats political rhetoric

Rather than moderating the message, Mamdani argued that Democrats should move in the opposite direction. “I think it’s time to develop a new vision for this party, one that is unflinching in its beliefs and also uncompromising in its principles,” he said.

The comments marked his latest defense of a position that has long generated debate among Democrats, particularly over how immigration messaging affects voters beyond the party’s base.

Daniels later asked how progressive Democrats could connect with people outside their political coalition. Mamdani said the answer was not rhetoric but results.

Zohran Mamdani touts child care expansion

“By delivering,” he said when asked how to broaden support.

Mamdani pointed to his policy goals, including expanded child care, as proof that voters could be won over through tangible outcomes rather than political arguments.

“There’s a lot of talk about the debate and what we have an opportunity to do here in New York City is to deliver on that vision,” he said.

“You know, two people can argue all they want, but when you show somebody the ability to deliver free child care for 200 two-year-olds this year, 12,000 two-year-olds next year, every two-year-old by the end of four years, it showcases what we’re fighting for and why we believe so deeply in it,” the New York City mayor said.

Mamdani has repeatedly criticized ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. In March, he said he had told President Donald Trump, both privately and publicly, that he viewed ICE as a “rogue agency.”

In February, he signed an executive order barring local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE on immigration enforcement matters without a judicial warrant, a policy that remains at the center of his broader clash with federal immigration authorities.