A New York City councilwoman is disgusted that Mayor Zohran Mamdani not only continues to violate federal law regarding interference with federal immigration officers, but that he is now putting pressure on private businesses to participate in his crime.
Like a typical social dictator, Mamdani is defying lawful authority and trying to make himself the sole arbiter of what is legal or illegal in New York. We know he has already threatened to confiscate property from private owners of rentals, and it is not clear if he would try to terrorize private business owners who do not comply with his newest outrageous demands. By the way, Mamdani is doing all of this in support of Oscar Belgal, a violent serial criminal with ties to a murderous gang who was trying to run over federal officers when they had to shoot him non-lethally in self-defense. Mamdani keeps demanding that the Trump administration release Belgal straight back onto the streets.
Just because the federal government doesn’t enforce its laws against state and local officials with political titles doesn’t mean the laws are not on the books. Not only does 8 U.S. Code § 1324 forbid anyone from deliberately harboring and protecting illegal aliens, but even more pertinently, 18 U.S. Code § 118 penalizes anyone who “willfully obstructs, resists, or interferes with a Federal law enforcement agent engaged… in the performance of the protective functions.” 18 U.S. Code § 111 has more details on criminal penalties for those trying to thwart federal officers.
Mamdani posted smugly on X on Friday, “More than 100 elected officials have joined me in calling on parking lot and garage owners across New York City: Don’t give ICE a place to operate. Don’t rent to them. Tell them they’re not welcome. Last week, ICE agents shot Oscar Belgal in the neck in Marble Hill while his 5-year-old son sat in the car. They had been staging nearby in a private parking lot.” Again, this is the foreign criminal who committed grand larceny, assault, and robbery, among other crimes.
Mamdani ranted, “Our city laws keep ICE off public property. Now, we’re calling on private property owners to do the same. One garage on Morton Street already removed ICE vehicles after neighbors spoke out. Every owner has that power.”
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Hon. Vickie Paladino, a councilwoman in New York City who also happens to have an office with a big parking garage, is refusing to be intimidated. “Using the power of city government to instigate Brownshirt tactics against private businesses is not only disgusting, it’s illegal,” she stated emphatically. “Particularly so when it’s done with the deliberate intent to undermine federal law and instigate a direct confrontation between law enforcement, the businesses, and activists.”
She added, “This is very ugly stuff. But communists are very ugly people. For the record, my office has a huge parking lot and ICE is more than welcome to use it for whatever they like. I know plenty of property owners in my district who will gladly volunteer also.” Not every private business owner in New York is socialist or terrified of Commies.