“We have a number of tools here in New York City, and whether those tools are the utilization of the courts, or it’s the tools of the bully pulpit, or it’s the tools of our own city policies, we’re going to exhaust every option to protect New Yorkers.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city will use every legal and political tool available to resist federal immigration enforcement, following a deadly confrontation between Border Patrol agents and an armed anti-ICE agitator during an operation in Minneapolis.
Speaking Sunday on ABC’s This Week in an interview with co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Mamdani accused federal agents of terrorizing communities and said New York City would not back down from defending its policies.
Zohran Mamdani: "We know that the fear that so many are living with in Minneapolis, it's a fear that New Yorkers are also living with … and I will do everything in my power to ensure that we do not see that take place in New York City." pic.twitter.com/JwvDeN49Gi
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 25, 2026
“We have a number of tools here in New York City, and whether those tools are the utilization of the courts, or it’s the tools of the bully pulpit, or it’s the tools of our own city policies, we’re going to exhaust every option to protect New Yorkers,” Mamdani said.
His comment came after Border Patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti during a targeted immigration operation in Minneapolis on Saturday morning.
According to video footage from the scene, Pretti was seen walking down the street holding a cellphone and recording an ICE operation. Moments later, a federal agent pushed a bystander to the ground, at which point Pretti attempted to intervene while still filming. Agents deployed pepper spray before several officers tackled him. Gunfire followed shortly after, with at least ten shots heard.
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino said Pretti was armed and posed a serious threat to officers.
“During this operation, an individual approached US Border Patrol agents with a nine-millimeter semi-automatic handgun. The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted,” Bovino said during a press conference. “Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots.”
Bovino said the operation was targeting Jose Huerta Chuma, an illegal immigrant whose criminal history includes domestic assault to intentionally inflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.
