New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who fatally shot Renee Good in Minnesota on Wednesday “murdered” her, as Republicans continue to defend the shooting.
“I think we can all see that video and come to our own conclusions that that ICE agent murdered a woman in Minneapolis,” Mamdani said on CNN Thursday night. “It is a glimpse into what has been a year of cruelty.”
Mamdani’s comments came after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem held a press conference in New York City about immigration enforcement on Thursday, a day after Good was shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis.
Noem defended the ICE officer, saying he “followed his training.” Mamdani disagreed with Noem when asked by anchor Kaitlan Collins.
“If that is following his training, I think there are larger questions about the training that’s being provided to ICE agents,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani calling the shooting a “murder” is a step further than how others, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have gone to describe the shooting.
When pressed about his word choice before an investigation is completed, Mamdani stood firm, saying, “That was the conclusion I came to in just watching that video.”
“I think that many Americans came to that same conclusion, no matter how many times this is mischaracterized by others, we will see right what is in front of us, which is that a 37-year-old woman was killed by an ICE agent,” Mamdani said.
VANCE TAKES THE LEAD IN DEFENDING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AFTER ICE SHOOTING
Since the shooting, Republicans have been quick to defend the ICE officer. Vice President JD Vance joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for a press briefing on Thursday, where he defended the officer and shamed the media for accusing him of murder.
“This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people. The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace, and it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day,” Vance said.
President Donald Trump commented on Truth Social after viewing the video of the shooting, saying it was a “horrible thing to watch.”
“The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense,” Trump said.
Mamdani said that the shooting was “entirely preventable.”
“It is yet, however, unsurprising to see from an agency that is both reckless and operates with a real sense of impunity across the country,” he said.
Similar to Minneapolis, New York City has sanctuary city policies, which limit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
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Mamdani emphasized New York City’s status as a sanctuary city, saying he will follow the law, which includes enforcing the sanctuary city policies.
“That’s why we have been informing New Yorkers of the rights that they have and also the protections that they have as New Yorkers,” he said.