Democrats vying for NYC mayor spar over defunding police, combating ICE

Democratic mayoral candidates sparred implicit whether to defund the constabulary during the New York City mayoral statement Wednesday night, with galore candidates distancing themselves from the once-popular progressive position.

Candidates besides discussed however to champion combat President Donald Trump, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to his amerciable migration crackdown.

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the existent frontrunner successful the mayoral race, said: "We person to admit what we did wrong. The radical connected the stage, astir without exception, were each defund the constabulary … and present they're calling for much police. We wouldn't request much constabulary if we didn't defund them successful the archetypal place."

After saying this, respective different candidates rapidly turned the tables connected Cuomo, accusing him of besides starring the complaint connected defunding the police, thing the erstwhile politician adamantly denied.

"I utilized the words defund the police, I said I don’t enactment defund the police," said Cuomo.

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Democratic mayoral candidates sparred implicit whether to defund the constabulary during the New York City mayoral statement Wednesday night, with galore candidates distancing themselves from the once-popular progressive position. Candidates besides discussed however to champion combat President Donald Trump, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to his amerciable migration crackdown. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images and REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)

While immoderate candidates said they really enactment expanding the constabulary beingness successful New York City, others suggested expanding "mental wellness outreach workers" connected the streets and subway trains.

Progressive New York authorities Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani suggested, "We are going to enactment unneurotic dedicated teams of intelligence wellness outreach workers who volition beryllium deployed to the apical 100 subway stations with the highest levels of intelligence wellness situation and homelessness."

Whitney Tilson, a hedge money manager, blamed positions specified arsenic Mamdani’s arsenic being liable for Trump’s emergence successful popularity among New York City voters.

"I bash deliberation we Democrats person to halt giving Trump gifts," said Tilson. "When we fto ourselves beryllium defined by our acold left, by socialists, with their ‘defund the police’ nonsense and unfastened borders, et cetera."

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A protester is seen smashing the windows of a constabulary car during the protestation against the constabulary battle of Tyre Nichols astatine Times Square successful New York, United States connected January 27, 2023.  (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"One country that I bash hold with Trump is, is that when, a socialist similar Zohran connected present tweets that the NYPD is quote, ‘wicked,’ and calls to defund and dismantle the NYPD, that that is madness," helium said, adding: "That is costing america elections since Trump has doubled his stock of the New York City ballot successful the past 3 elections, from 17% to 30%."

"We've got to determination distant from the acold left, the socialism is sinking our enactment and our city," said Tilson.

Candidates besides discussed however to code the emergence successful transgression and shoplifting successful New York City and addressed whether bail reforms passed by the authorities nether Cuomo are liable for the spike.

Michael Blake, a erstwhile Obama aide, suggested a "guaranteed" median income could beryllium the solution to rising shoplifting.

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A stateless idiosyncratic lies connected the sidewalk successful New York connected Dec. 27, 2024 (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu)

"If we assistance New Yorkers marque and support much wealth successful their pouch successful the archetypal place, past we wouldn't person radical speaking astir shoplifting. That's wherefore we request the section median income. That's wherefore we person to person guaranteed income. That's wherefore I person to assistance radical connected the beforehand end. So, we're not talking astir them being connected the back," said Blake.

Regarding Trump’s crackdown connected amerciable immigration, candidates mostly doubled down connected New York City’s sanctuary city presumption and connected further limiting section police’s quality to cooperate with ICE.

Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams was wide lambasted for being consenting to cooperate with the Trump medication and ICE erstwhile it comes to migration enforcement. 

Asked whether she would extremity disconnected migrants astir national migration enforcement operations successful New York City, existent metropolis assembly talker Adrienne Adams asserted that if elected, "my ngo is and volition beryllium to support the immigrants."

Adams said, "I volition perfectly usage my bully pulpit to warn, arsenic I’m doing arsenic metropolis assembly talker beauteous overmuch connected a regular basis."

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An ICE cause monitors hundreds of asylum seekers being processed upon entering the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building connected June 6, 2023 successful New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller, meanwhile, said helium would physique a web successful the metropolis authorities that would enforce New York’s sanctuary laws and "absolutely pass radical earlier they locomotion into ICE."

Zellnor Myrie, a authorities senator, claimed that sanctuary laws "used to not beryllium political" and "not lone would I beryllium informing but I would beryllium assuring them that we person their backmost close now."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Jessica Ramos, a Democratic New York authorities senator, said she would usage metropolis taxation resources to combat Trump’s migration crackdown, saying, "We person perfectly person to support ICE … retired of immoderate nationalist institution" and "I privation to marque definite that successful a municipality with truthful galore lawyers, our immigrants person lawyers."  

"This is not the archetypal clip he's brought ICE to New York. He's done that earlier and we fought him and we won," said Cuomo.

SCOOP: TOP CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES LAUNCH PROBE INTO NASHVILLE MAYOR ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks earlier signing an enforcement bid successful the Oval Office of the White House connected March 31, 2025 successful Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"So, helium tin beryllium beaten. But helium has to cognize that he's up against an adversary who tin really bushed him. And I tin archer you this, I americium the past idiosyncratic connected this signifier that Mr. Trump wants to spot arsenic mayor," helium went on. "And that's wherefore I should beryllium the archetypal prime that for the radical of this metropolis to person arsenic mayor."

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Eric Adams is moving for re-election arsenic an autarkic and frankincense did not enactment successful the debate.