Republicans target New York mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani with citizenship threats
Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers calling for his citizenship to be revoked
WASHINGTON (MNTV) – As early voting surges to record levels in New York City, Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers calling for his citizenship to be revoked — a move civil rights groups have condemned as unconstitutional and racist.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Representative Andy Ogles demanded that the Justice Department “denaturalise and deport” Mamdani, accusing the 34-year-old assemblyman of failing to disclose his “advocacy for Palestinian human rights” during his citizenship process — rhetoric Ogles framed as “support for terrorism.”
Representative Randy Fine echoed the call, urging a review of all naturalisations over the past 30 years “starting with Mamdani.”
He described the Democrat as “a threat to the nation,” alleging that immigrants like him represent “the enemy within.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) responded with a strong rebuke, urging the Justice Department to reject what it called a “racist and Islamophobic demand.” The group said targeting a citizen based on political or religious beliefs “violates the First and Fifth Amendments.”
Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents and naturalised in 2018, is a New York State Assembly member and one of the city’s most visible progressive Muslim politicians. His campaign for mayor has drawn strong support from immigrant and youth voters.
In comments to The New York Post, Mamdani dismissed the allegations as political fearmongering. “It’s telling that Republicans in Washington are more concerned about deporting me than ending the government shutdown,” he said, adding that repeated attempts to label him a communist “don’t make it true.”
On social media, he accused his opponents of weaponising his faith and immigration story.
“They are trying to scare every immigrant who dares to speak up,” he wrote. “We won’t be intimidated.”
Legal experts have also pushed back against the calls for denaturalisation.
“It’s a serious and rare step reserved for proven fraud, not political speech,” said New York attorney Cyrus Mehta, noting that advocacy for Palestinian rights or membership in the Democratic Socialists of America is not grounds for citizenship revocation.
The Justice Department declined to say whether it had received Ogles’s letter.
Meanwhile, early voting turnout has surpassed 1.2 million, five times higher than at the same stage in 2021. Analysts say the surge could benefit Mamdani, whose campaign relies heavily on younger, progressive voters.
Mamdani’s rise, marked by his primary victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo, has reshaped the city’s political landscape — and, as one supporter put it, “Every time they attack him, more people show up.”
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