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Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist running for mayor in New York City, plans to invest $165 million in legal defense services for immigrants if elected mayor this November.
Mamdani called the policy proposal a “cornerstone” of his campaign on MSNBC’s “The Weekend” on Sept. 21, while affirming his commitment to increase funding by more than $100 million for New Yorkers he said are “in urgent risk of deportation.”
Mamdani’s ambitious platform includes commitments like free buses, rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores and a robust plan for “Trump-proofing” New York City. Chief among Mamdani’s plan to defend New York City from President Donald Trump’s executive authority is a commitment to creating the “strongest sanctuary city in the country,” which according to his campaign website, includes bolstering legal support for immigrants.
The 33-year-old mayoral hopeful fails to specify who qualifies to benefit from the $165 million fund. A distinction between legal and illegal immigration is missing from Mamdani’s proposal, and his campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s attempt to clarify.
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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.
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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.
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, spoke to supporters at a canvass launch event in Prospect Park on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
Among the $165 million funding commitment, Mamdani is planning to increase funding for the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative from $500,000 to $25 million, “ensure families can stay together” by increasing funding from $16 million to $30 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unit Program and increasing funding from $20 million to $40 million for the Immigrant Opportunity Initiative.
He also vowed to continue funding “essential programs” like interpretation services and “know your rights initiatives.”
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s question about how he will pay for this additional funding. His platform does include raising taxes on corporations and the top 1% of New Yorkers to pay for his proposals.
During a press conference on Friday, Mamdani vowed to be a mayor “that ensures we increase legal representation of immigrant New Yorkers who are under attack.”
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.”
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“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.
