ICE Wants NYPD Cops Who Are Mad About Mamdani
Donald Trump has long vowed to target New York City if Zohran Mamdani were elected mayor and went so far as to tell people they “must” vote for Andrew Cuomo on the eve of the election. Three days later, his administration’s first foray into the city is a strategic troll: ICE is attempting to recruit disgruntled members of the NYPD — as well as send a pointed political message in the aftermath of Mamdani’s victory.
On Thursday, the agency’s official X account shared a post asking members of the city’s police force to “join an agency that respects you, your family, and your commitment to serving in law enforcement.” The recruitment attempt clearly attempts to capitalize on fears expressed by critics of Mamdani that many members of the NYPD will choose to leave their posts and the city rather than serve under Mamdani’s administration.
NYPD OFFICERS: Join an agency that respects you, your family, and your commitment to serving in law enforcement.https://t.co/3c7b0RyFW8 pic.twitter.com/Rw8t5480Vl
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) November 6, 2025
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has made such overtures to local law enforcement. In October, the Associated Press reported that ICE had spent millions of dollars on targeted television advertising across the country, using partisan messaging to recruit police officers employed in sanctuary cities. It was also an effort to meet the White House’s goal of hiring 10,000 new ICE officers by year’s end. Per the outlet, the 30-second ads aired in cities like Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Denver, among others.
President Donald Trump has made no secret of his feelings about the mayor-elect, inaccurately describing him as a “communist” and threatening to withhold federal funding from the city or even have Mamdani arrested if he doesn’t cooperate with ICE if elected. In turn, Mamdani has been a fierce critic of Trump throughout his mayoral campaign, though on Wednesday he expressed an openness to working with the president on lowering the cost of living in the city, his trademark issue.
This was not the only time the Trump administration has sent out official posts referencing Mamdani’s win. Shortly after Mamdani was elected, the White House X account shared an image styled like the iconic logo of the New York Knicks featuring the words, “Trump Is Your President.” The post was later removed after the Knicks organization reportedly reached out to the Trump administration.