Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would organize a “human shield” around Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani following statements from President Donald Trump suggesting legal action if Mamdani interferes with federal immigration enforcement operations.
De Blasio made the remarks on Wednesday in a post on X, the social media platform, responding to Trump’s Tuesday warning about Mamdani’s public vow to obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if elected mayor of New York City.
“Donald Trump will have to go through a lot of us first if he wants to arrest Zohran Mamdani. We New Yorkers will put a human shield around him if we need to,” de Blasio wrote.
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“No one gets to intimidate us.”
Donald Trump will have to go through a lot of us first if he wants to arrest @ZohranKMamdani.
We New Yorkers will put a human shield around him if we need to.
No one gets to intimidate us. https://t.co/gJMK4ne6dL— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 1, 2025
Trump’s comments came during a press briefing at the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility in Florida, where he addressed concerns about public officials pledging to disrupt federal immigration operations.
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The President said the administration would investigate all legal avenues in response to Mamdani’s actions and public statements.
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country,” Trump said Tuesday.
“But if we have them, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation.”
He added that federal authorities “would have to arrest him” if Mamdani follows through with obstructing mass deportation efforts, according to Newsweek.
Mamdani, 33, is currently a member of the New York State Assembly, representing parts of Queens.
He is a self-described Democratic Socialist and recently secured the Democratic nomination for mayor in the city’s primary election.
Mamdani, who was born in Uganda to Indian parents, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.
His campaign has attracted scrutiny for its progressive platform, including proposals for city-owned grocery stores and expanded rent control.
Critics have questioned both his political ideology and, in some cases, his citizenship status.
Watching Dems squirm and try to explain away Mamdani being a communist is pretty entertaining – lol.
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The Trump administration has not confirmed any formal investigation into Mamdani’s background, but the President indicated that “all allegations” would be reviewed.
Mamdani responded to Trump’s remarks with a lengthy statement on social media, claiming the President’s words were a direct threat.
“The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp, and deported,” Mamdani wrote.
“Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.”
He continued, “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy, but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refused to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you.”
Governor Kathy Hochul also weighed in on the controversy, according to Newsweek, pledging that the state would intervene if the Trump administration attempted to revoke Mamdani’s citizenship or detain him.
I don’t care if you’re the President of the United States, if you threaten to unlawfully go after one of our neighbors, you’re picking a fight with 20 million New Yorkers — starting with me. https://t.co/ZKWSuCuT1p
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) July 1, 2025
“We will not accept this intimidation,” Mamdani said in another public statement.
“New York will not be silenced.”
The remarks from Mamdani, de Blasio, and Hochul follow ongoing political clashes over federal immigration enforcement, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions like New York City, where local officials have pledged not to cooperate with ICE operations.
President Trump has maintained that interfering with federal immigration enforcement is unlawful and has warned that any elected official who obstructs ICE will be subject to federal penalties.
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