NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani spoke with reporters while leaving the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
During his MSNBC interview, Mamdani lamented that New York City residents are facing "urgent risk of deportation," and claimed that those New Yorkers are more likely to stay in the United States if they are provided legal assistance.
Mamdani said his proposed investment is so that "we can ensure we're taking every step we can to keep the Yorkers safe, to keep New Yorkers together and to show the world that they are welcome in this city."
Mamdani's plan to bolster New York City's sanctuary city status also includes commitments to ending cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and protecting illegal immigrant's personal information from the federal government.
"The administration will increase funding for immigration legal services to provide representation for people and communities targeted by mass deportation," Mamdani included in his "Trump-proofing" New York City proposal.
Homeless migrants waited in line to receive food and clothing donations in Tompkins Square Park on Jan. 20, 2024 in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
A Fox News survey of New York City registered voters found Mamdani leading the race by 18 percentage points with 45% support.
Only 3% of those surveyed mentioned illegal immigration as the city’s No. 1 problem. Most (67%) favored only deporting those charged with crimes but allowing others to stay in the U.S. and apply for citizenship.
While Mamdani is a self-described Democratic socialist, Trump has labeled him a "communist."
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said that Mamdani "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City. Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!" Trump said.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-proposes-massive-amount-legal-defense-funding-immigrants-trump-proofing-nyc-plan