Mamdani urges King Charles to return rare diamonds
Asked what he would say to King Charles if he had the chance, New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani said he would ask the king to return the rare diamonds to India.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani criticized the response of federal immigration enforcement officials in Bushwick after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took detainees to a local hospital, sparking a large protest outside.
The mayor clarified that NYPD officers were not there to assist ICE agents, but were responding to a protest outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center on Saturday night.
Here’s what you need to know about this case and whether New York City agencies are allowed to assist ICE officers.
Bushwick Hospital Protest
Chidozie Wilson Okeke, a Nigerian national who allegedly overstayed his tourist visa, was arrested by ICE on Saturday, according to Gothamist. He was then taken to a hospital for treatment, but protesters began gathering outside.
Videos and photos depict high tensions, with protesters, NYPD officers and ICE officers all in attendance.
“We have made it clear that there is nothing left in our laws and no room for interpretation regarding the fact that the NYPD will not participate in civilian immigration enforcement,” Mamdani said at a separate press conference on Monday.
According to Gothamist, eight people were arrested at the demonstration and charged with resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.
“Word spread quickly that ICE was taking someone they had taken into custody to the ER with kidnapping-related injuries,” City Councilmember Sandy Nurse, who was outside the hospital that night, told X.
“After approximately five hours, the detainee was discharged from the hospital. What I witnessed during the discharge appeared to be direct coordination between ICE and the NYPD, with officers cordoning off the ambulance bay to allow ICE to transfer the individual to a vehicle and leave.”
Will the New York City agency assist ICE?
According to Global Refuge, New York City is considered a sanctuary city, meaning there is limited information provided to federal immigration officials.
But that doesn’t mean New Yorkers will be completely protected from deportation, according to the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs.
“For decades, federal policy from both parties has limited warrantless civilian immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as schools, hospitals, and places of worship,” Gov. Cathy Hochul’s office said in announcing new legislation related to ICE earlier this year.
“Recent federal changes have rolled back these protections and disrupted public safety, school communities, access to care, and trust in critical institutions.”
Mamdani has said in the past that he supports abolishing ICE.
The NYPD, Department of Homeland Security and the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment.
“ICE sowed the seeds of discord across our country by ripping people off the streets, erasing them from their families and communities,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said in a statement.
“I strongly support the right of Brooklyn residents and all Americans to organize against these inhuman acts.”
