NYC Mayor Mamdani Slams ICE Raid, Rejects Claims NYPD Worked With Feds During Hospital Protest

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned a recent ICE operation that sparked a violent protest outside Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn, but pushed back hard against accusations that the NYPD coordinated with federal immigration agents.

On Saturday night, roughly 200 protesters gathered to support Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian national taken into custody by ICE and brought to the hospital. Okeke reportedly has prior arrests for assault and drug possession, according to sources. The protest turned chaotic, resulting in nine arrests.

“I’ve been very clear about my views on ICE raids as a whole,” Mamdani said at a Bronx press conference Monday. “I think that they are cruel. I think that they are inhumane. I think that they do not serve any interest of public safety.”

A video circulating from the protest shows a police officer violently throwing a protester to the ground, an act Mamdani called “incredibly disturbing” and said is under investigation.

Despite pressure from left-wing politicians accusing the NYPD of collaborating with ICE, Mamdani firmly denied any operational coordination between city police and federal immigration agents. “Rather, they were responding to 911 calls regarding the protest outside of the hospital,” he said. “Our laws leave no room for interpretation about the fact that our NYPD will not participate in civil immigration enforcement.”

This incident highlights the ongoing tension between local authorities, federal immigration enforcement, and activist groups in New York City. While Mayor Mamdani condemns ICE’s tactics, he is also trying to maintain a strict line that the NYPD does not aid ICE raids — a claim that activists and some elected officials continue to challenge amid reports of police presence during immigration operations.

As protests against ICE grow increasingly confrontational, the question of how much local law enforcement is involved remains a flashpoint in the city’s struggle over immigration policy and civil rights. Mamdani’s statement attempts to draw a clear boundary, but the violent response to the protest raises urgent questions about policing and accountability in these fraught moments.