Trump administration considers revoking Zohran Mamdani’s citizenship

The Trump administration has indicated it may investigate the citizenship of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, following accusations that he may have misrepresented himself during the naturalization process.

The potential move stems from allegations made by Republican Congressman Andy Ogles, who claimed Mamdani concealed support for terrorism.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the accusations, saying, “I have not seen those claims, but surely if they are true, it’s something that should be investigated.”

Mamdani, 33, originally from Uganda and of Indian descent, became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Known for his progressive platform and outspoken support for Palestinian rights, Mamdani has drawn national attention since winning the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, defeating establishment figures including former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The controversy intensified when President Donald Trump responded to Mamdani’s remarks about halting deportations by ICE agents, stating, “Well, then, we’ll have to arrest him,” according to Axios.

Mamdani responded via X, saying, “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp and deported. Not because I have broken any law but because I will refuse to let ICE terrorise our city.”

He continued: “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you. We will not accept this intimidation.”

Ogles has called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an inquiry, citing Mamdani’s rap song 'my love to the Holy Land five', where he refers to members of a foundation convicted of aiding Hamas as “my guys.” He also criticised Mamdani for not denouncing the phrase “globalise the intifada.” In a separate post, Ogles wrote, “Zohran ‘little muhammad’ Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be deported.”

The Department of Justice confirmed it had received the letter from Ogles but offered no further comment.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy strongly condemned the push, labeling it “racist bullshit.”

He wrote, “Trump will stop at nothing to protect billionaires and price gouging corporations, even racist bullshit like this. Zohran won because he ran a campaign laser focused on putting power back in the hands of working people. And that’s a threat to the Mar-a-Lago crowd.”

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has faced heightened scrutiny of his social media activity and past activism since his primary win, alongside growing right-wing hostility. Trump has called him “a pure communist” and threatened to cut off federal funding to New York City if Mamdani is elected and “doesn’t behave himself.”

Speaking at the unveiling of a new immigrant detention center in Florida, Trump reiterated his concerns, suggesting Mamdani might have obtained citizenship “illegally.”

“We don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump said. “A lot of people are saying, he’s here illegally. We’re going to look at everything, but ideally, he’s going to turn out to be much less than a communist. Right now he’s a communist, that’s not a socialist.”

Trump also praised current New York mayor Eric Adams, now running as an independent, calling him “a good person” and noting the recent Justice Department decision to dismiss a federal corruption case against Adams.

Mamdani addressed that, too: “That Trump included praise for Adams in his authoritarian threats is unsurprising.”