NYC Mayor Mamdani Doubles Down: Calls to Abolish ICE on National TV After Minneapolis Tragedy
‘We can’t have an America where federal agents answer to no one and terrorize our communities-that era is over.’ – Mayor Zohran Mamdani on The View, January 20, 2026
Bombshell on The View: Mamdani Escalates His War on ICE and President Trump’s Policy
New York City has always been a cauldron of ideas and clashing priorities, but the temperature hit a rolling boil Tuesday morning as Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on ABC’s The View. Barely a month into his first term, the 34-year-old naturalized citizen from Uganda stunned viewers and ignited fresh outrage in conservative circles, flatly declaring: ‘It is time to abolish ICE-full stop.’
This isn’t just the babble of the fringe left. It’s an unmistakable attack on President Trump’s insistence that immigration laws be enforced and the nation’s sovereignty restored. Mamdani’s headline-making appearance caps a string of inflammatory comments-this time he wasn’t simply criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but calling for its complete dismantling. His appearance came as the nation reels from the January 7 shooting of Renee Good, a mother and Minneapolis resident killed during an ICE enforcement operation gone tragically awry.
Seated comfortably among mostly left-leaning hosts, Mamdani doubled down on his campaign rhetoric. ‘ICE is a rogue agency,’ he said. ‘It has no interest in laws, no interest in order.’ He didn’t blink as Whoopi Goldberg and the studio audience applauded. But outside that bubble, backlash is fierce-and growing.
His language echoed statements made throughout his campaign, referring to ICE as an unaccountable force ‘terrorizing people regardless of their legal status.’ The calls fell like a hammer, inciting cheers from progressives but disbelief and concern from Trump supporters, immigration agents, and thousands of legal immigrants who followed the proper channels.
‘If there is anything un-American, it is the notion that we should abolish law enforcement agencies instead of holding criminals accountable.’ – Retired ICE Agent Bill Cameron, speaking to RedPledgeInfo
This is more than a talking point. With Mamdani in office and his allies controlling the city council, New York is becoming ground zero for the progressive push to destroy the guardrails protecting America’s borders-and, critics warn, to endanger its lawful citizens in the process. Conservatives across America saw Mamdani’s comments as a rallying cry for far-left radicals everywhere, threatening to undermine law and order for political gain.
Aftermath of the Minneapolis Shooting: Facts, Fury, and Political Opportunism
The tragic death of Renee Good-a 37-year-old mother of three-has become a flashpoint in the national debate over U.S. immigration enforcement. On January 7, during an ICE operation in Minneapolis, Good was shot and killed by an agent. According to the Associated Press, Good sustained gunshot wounds to her chest, arm, and head, and was unresponsive upon emergency responders’ arrival-an incident that immediately ignited protests and accusations of overreach.
The Justice Department quickly announced there would be no criminal civil rights investigation, but that did little to appease critics on the left. Instead, the resignations of six federal prosecutors in Minnesota-protesting what they saw as inadequate federal response-set off a media firestorm and gave Mamdani new ammunition for his crusade.
Conservatives and legal experts aren’t convinced. A growing body of evidence, from video footage to incident reports, suggests the situation was less cut-and-dried than political activists claim. One columnist at HotAir called it a ‘clear-cut case of self-defense for the initial shot and possibly manslaughter for later shots,’ and blasted Mamdani for ‘playing politics on national television.’ The real issue, they argue, is a lack of respect for the rule of law, not law enforcement’s existence.
‘At least six prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota resigned in protest over the Department of Justice’s handling of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent,’ according to The Week.
As more facts emerge, a harsh spotlight is shining on Mamdani’s penchant for narrative over nuance. Even the Department of Justice found no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation into the incident-an inconvenient detail brushed aside in Mamdani’s TV appearance.
But it’s not just about the facts. The outcry-online and on the streets-has deepened the national divide. Progressives saw in Renee Good’s tragic death a justification for their long-standing calls to dismantle ICE. Conservatives see it as another senseless tragedy being exploited for political gain at the expense of the country’s laws and security.
Democratic Civil War: ICE Divide, Gen Z Pandering, and a Mayor At Odds With America
Mayor Mamdani’s comments didn’t emerge in a vacuum-they’re part of a deep rift cutting through Democratic politics. From Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (who publicly backed Mamdani’s mayoral bid) to presidential hopefuls and congressional leaders, Democrats have spent the last year fighting over immigration. Ocasio-Cortez and her allies advocate for abolishing the agency outright, while moderate voices like Pete Buttigieg preach reform over annihilation.
But as Mamdani himself boasted on The View, he believes the Democratic Party must ‘take Generation Z voters seriously’ and shape policy to suit their social media-driven priorities-a position many call out as shameless pandering.
Since taking office, the new mayor has wielded his platform to push anti-ICE messaging, even releasing a city-wide video advising New Yorkers of their legal rights when dealing with ICE agents. He told the world, and his young progressive base, that ‘ICE cannot enter private spaces without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.’ His calculated move aims to cement his status as a progressive folk hero among Gen Z, while drawing clear battle lines ahead of the 2026 midterms.
‘We have a responsibility to allow young people to aspire to dream,’ he said, calling New York City a beacon for progressive causes in America’s immigration fight, while critics warn he is turning the city into a dangerous experiment.
Conservative voices and immigrant communities alike worry about the real-world impact of abolishing ICE: fewer removals of criminal aliens, less control over drug and human trafficking, and lower morale for law enforcement. Yet to Mamdani and his progressive allies, ICE is nothing but a villain to be vanquished.
Donald Trump’s response has been predictably forceful, threatening to send federal troops to any city where federal law is openly flouted, and reminding sanctuary city mayors like Mamdani that federal funding is on the line. The clash has set the stage for even deeper polarization as New York lurches further left, defying the rest of the country.
Critics say Mamdani is less concerned with ‘humanity’ and more with scoring headlines for the far left, risking the city’s future-and America’s safety-in the process.
With only months until the crucial 2026 midterm elections, battle lines are drawn: a mayor accused of political showmanship and abdicating the rule of law; a progressive wing hungry for revolution; and a country deciding if its cities, borders, and most basic laws have a future in the hands of those who see enforcement as evil.
