New York City is once again at the center of a national debate over immigration, law enforcement, and the boundaries of local and federal authority, as mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team and outspoken advocacy have drawn both praise and sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. On December 8, 2025, it was revealed that Mamdani’s Committee on Social Services includes Wayne Ho, president and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) since 2017—a nonprofit currently under congressional investigation for allegedly instructing undocumented immigrants on how to avoid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
The House Committee on Homeland Security launched its probe into CPC back in April 2025, after a video surfaced showing a member of the organization’s leadership discussing strategies for evading immigration officials during a seminar in New York. According to a letter from then-committee chairman Mark Green, the committee was "deeply concerned that CPC and other NGOs that receive taxpayer dollars may be advising or training illegal aliens on strategies to avoid cooperation with immigration officials." While Green no longer leads the committee, a staff member confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon that the investigation remains ongoing. The current chairman, Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York, made his position clear: "I am disappointed but not surprised that the incoming mayor is providing a platform to an individual who is associated with an organization that has reportedly worked to undermine law enforcement. I encourage the mayor-elect to stick to his recent promise to support law enforcement, particularly given his past statements to the contrary. The Committee will continue conducting oversight of the rise in anti-law enforcement sentiment as it continues to threaten those on the frontlines of the homeland security mission."
This controversy comes at a time when the city’s approach to immigration enforcement is under intense scrutiny. Mamdani, who will soon become New York’s first Muslim mayor, has been vocal about his intention to shield undocumented immigrants from federal deportation efforts. During his campaign, he pledged to prevent ICE from carrying out deportations within the city. In a high-profile lawsuit this July, President Donald Trump sued New York City, arguing its sanctuary policies interfere with the enforcement of federal immigration law. While Trump and Mamdani met in the Oval Office weeks ago, the president later clarified that immigration enforcement was not discussed in depth during their conversation.
But it’s not just political maneuvering in the backrooms of City Hall or the White House that’s drawing attention. On December 8, Mamdani posted a video to Instagram that has since gone viral, racking up hundreds of thousands of views and igniting fierce debate both online and in the streets. In the video, Mamdani holds up two pieces of paper—one a legitimate judicial warrant, the other a form commonly used by ICE agents. “ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” Mamdani explains. “If ICE does not have a judicial warrant…you have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry’ and the right to keep your door closed.”
He goes further, warning viewers that “ICE is legally allowed to lie to you, but you have the right to remain silent.” The video, which is as much a how-to guide as it is a political statement, also advises those being detained to repeatedly ask, “Am I free to go?” and to film ICE agents “as long as you do not interfere with an arrest.” Mamdani’s message is unambiguous: “New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and when I’m mayor, we will protect that right. New York will always welcome immigrants, and I will fight each and every day to protect, support and celebrate our immigrant brothers and sisters.”
The reaction was swift and polarized. Supporters flooded social media with comments like “now THIS is my mayor” and “America’s mayor,” while critics accused Mamdani of teaching illegal immigrants how to evade law enforcement. As The New York Times reported, “a patriotic resident’s know-your-rights seminar is a mediocre whiner’s constitutional crisis.” Even seasoned ICE officials weighed in, noting that no mayor can truly prevent federal agents from performing their duties. “It’s just not going to happen,” said a retired ICE agent to a reporter. Still, Mamdani’s real influence may lie in his ability to direct city agencies—such as instructing the NYPD not to assist ICE in civil immigration raids and ensuring city employees know they aren’t obligated to comply with ICE detainers lacking a judicial warrant.
Federal authorities, meanwhile, are not backing down. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told the Washington Free Beacon, “As it does every day, DHS will enforce the law, including in New York City. When sanctuary politicians ignore ICE detainers, they are protecting criminal illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.” The tension is further underscored by new data released on December 7, which shows that ICE arrested nearly 75,000 people with no criminal records between January 20 and October 15, 2025—about one-third of all apprehensions during the first nine months of the Trump administration.
Critics of Mamdani’s approach have also pointed to the Chinese-American Planning Council’s financial ties, noting that the nonprofit reportedly receives tens of thousands of dollars each year from Chinese Communist Party-aligned sources, including state-run enterprises like the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. Additionally, CPC has faced allegations of labor violations, with protesters in spring 2025 accusing the organization of forcing senior home health care employees to work 24-hour shifts without compensation for more than 13 hours. Wayne Ho, the CPC president and new member of Mamdani’s transition team, did not respond to requests for comment.
For many New Yorkers—especially the estimated three million immigrants in the city, at least 400,000 of whom are undocumented—the stakes are deeply personal. Mamdani’s videos, with their practical advice and unmistakable defiance, have become a lifeline for those living in the shadows. As one Instagram commenter put it, “I think a lot of people need to hear that line ‘ICE is legally allowed to lie to you.’” Flyers with “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS” are now circulating in neighborhoods from Canal Street to Jackson Heights, and legal clinics are reporting surges in inquiries from residents eager to understand their protections.
As Mamdani prepares to take office, the city finds itself at a crossroads. Federal agents still have the keys to the vans, and the Trump administration shows no signs of easing its enforcement efforts. Yet, in apartments, community centers, and on social media, New Yorkers are arming themselves with knowledge—and, perhaps, a renewed sense of agency. The coming months promise more clashes, more court battles, and, if Mamdani has his way, a city that remains, in his words, “a city for all immigrants.”
For now, the only certainty is that New York’s struggle over immigration and law enforcement is far from over, and the nation is watching closely to see which vision for America’s largest city will prevail.
