Zohran Mamdani’s US citizenship at threat of being ‘stripped’ by Trump

Zohran Mamdani’s landmark election as New York City’s next mayor has quickly become a national flashpoint, with Donald Trump and Republican allies suggesting he could be arrested, deported, or stripped of his citizenship. The 34-year-old Democratic socialist, who defeated Andrew Cuomo in the primary, is the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor, as well as the first born in Africa.

Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents and became a U.S. citizen in 2018 after moving to the country as a child. Despite federal confirmation of his citizenship, Trump and several Republicans have questioned whether he should have been naturalized in the first place.

Tensions rose after Mamdani vowed to resist federal immigration raids. Trump responded that he would “arrest” any mayor who tried to block ICE, and he repeatedly labeled Mamdani a communist while hinting at a review of his citizenship.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Andy Ogles pushed for an investigation into alleged naturalization fraud, pointing to a 2017 rap lyric referencing the Holy Land Five and Mamdani’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. Legal experts, however, say these claims distort U.S. immigration law and political history.

Fact-checkers have found no evidence of wrongdoing, and immigration scholars note that denaturalization requires strong proof of fraud—something they say is highly unlikely here. Still, some Republicans have framed Mamdani as part of a broader threat from immigrants.

Mamdani has called Trump’s remarks an attack on democracy and a warning meant to silence political opponents, especially Muslims and immigrants. Advocacy groups have widely condemned the rhetoric as racist and dangerous.

As he prepares to take office, Mamdani insists he will continue to oppose aggressive immigration enforcement, casting the controversy over his citizenship as part of a wider national struggle over identity, dissent, and presidential power.