U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is making a bold play to lure New York Police Department (NYPD) officers away from the Big Apple with a patriotic pitch.
According to CNN, following the victory of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, ICE has seized the moment to recruit disgruntled NYPD officers, citing Mamdani’s past criticisms of the police and framing itself as a haven for law enforcement under a supportive federal administration.
This recruitment drive kicked off with a pointed social media message from ICE on Friday, aimed squarely at NYPD officers.
The message didn’t mince words, urging officers to "Defend the Homeland" and join an agency that claims to "work for a President and a Secretary who support and defend law enforcement—not defund or demonize it" (ICE social media recruitment message).
That’s a not-so-subtle jab at Mamdani’s history of sharp critiques against the NYPD, including his vocal support for defunding the police in years past.
While it’s a clever pitch, one wonders if officers will trade city streets for federal raids based on a single social media post.
Back in June 2020, Mamdani didn’t hold back, posting on X, "We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD" (Zohran Mamdani, X, June 2020).
That’s the kind of rhetoric ICE is banking on to sway officers, painting Mamdani as an adversary to traditional law enforcement values—though, to be fair, it’s a quote from years ago that may not reflect his current mindset.
Still, such statements linger in the public memory, and ICE seems eager to capitalize on any lingering resentment among the rank and file.
Interestingly, during the closing months of his campaign, Mamdani appeared to soften his stance, reaching out to law enforcement and distancing himself from earlier calls to defund the NYPD.
He even committed to keeping current Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch in her role, a move that might reassure some officers but likely won’t erase past friction overnight. Whether this pivot will stem the tide of potential defections to ICE remains an open question.
ICE’s recruitment push isn’t just a local skirmish—it’s part of a broader Department of Homeland Security initiative to hire thousands of new deportation officers, backed by a hefty $75 billion in federal funding secured this summer through a major legislative agenda.
Meanwhile, Mamdani has made it clear he won’t play ball with ICE, stating he refuses to allow NYPD cooperation on civil immigration enforcement, setting the stage for a tense city-federal showdown.
As CNN awaits comment from Mamdani’s transition team, it’s evident that ICE’s gambit to recruit NYPD officers is more than a staffing move—it’s a political chess play in a city already grappling with clashing visions of public safety and governance.
