Washington: The White House sharply criticised a recent video by the New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who is an Indian American, encouraging immigrants to “stand up to ICE,” warning that such messages are contributing to a surge of harassment and violence against federal immigration officers.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration is “definitely concerned about the rise in violence and attacks and physical threats” against agents, describing what she called an alarming escalation. “We’ve seen more than a 1,000 per cent increase in violent attacks on them and their families,” she said.
Leavitt said ICE officers “have been doxed, they’ve been harassed, many of them have been physically assaulted and attacked,” asserting that they are simply “enforcing our nation’s immigration laws.”
Responding to a question on whether New York’s messaging might inspire residents to resist enforcement operations, she said the administration “condemns that wholeheartedly” and will continue its mission “in every state… to remove illegal aliens and public safety threats from American communities.”
The Press Secretary’s remarks came as President Trump has declared the current border environment the “most secure” in US history, citing record-low encounter numbers. According to Leavitt, “for the seventh consecutive month, US Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into the United States.”
She contrasted that with the previous administration, saying, “In ten months under President Trump, we’ve seen less apprehensions overall than we saw in one month under Joe Biden.”
The administration’s rhetoric, which leans heavily on enforcement and deterrence, has resonated in parts of the country but inflamed tensions in major metropolitan areas like New York, where many immigrants — including thousands from India — live and work.
Leavitt insisted Trump has restored “sovereignty” at the border and achieved “the single greatest and fastest national security victory in modern American history.” She said continued declines in unlawful crossings are “remarkable results.”
Immigration enforcement has long been one of the most polarising issues in US politics. Successive administrations have struggled to balance humanitarian concerns with security imperatives, and court rulings often shape the scope of federal action.
(IANS)
