Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, during a Bloomberg Television interview at City Hall in New York, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Mamdani confirmed on Monday that an 18th person died in New York City during a period of dangerously low temperatures up and down the East Coast.
"Since Friday's press conference, one additional New Yorker lost their life on the streets of our city as a result of this cold snap. The total lives lost is now 18. Each life lost is a tragedy, and we will continue to hold their families in our thoughts," Mamdani said during a press conference about a separate issue.
He urged homeless residents to shield themselves from below-freezing temperatures at a shelter, while his administration has also deployed warming vehicles throughout the city.
Republicans, however, have accused Mamdani of not doing enough to expand access to emergency services during the bitter winter.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks to the media next to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on the day U.S. President Donald Trump met with top congressional leaders just ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, at the White House in Washington, D.C., Sept. 29, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
"Maybe they're trying to start a small business and want to go to another city to try to create some jobs. They won't be able to do that because Democrats want to have a tantrum, not to defund ICE, because again, ICE is fully funded, but just because they want to cause chaos in America to get open borders."
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Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose funding Democrats have taken issue with specifically, got an injection of billions of dollars from President Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill last year.
Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City mayor's office for a response to Scalise's comments.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-leader-rips-socialist-zohran-mamdani-after-18-people-freeze-death-nyc