Republicans are calling for the deportation of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who himself has vowed to expel the 'fascist' US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from the city. US President Donald Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan has responded by saying, "Good luck with that, federal law trumps him every day, every hour of every minute," Homan said. "We're going to be in New York City, matter of fact, because it's a sanctuary city and President Trump made it clear a week and a half ago - we're going to double down and triple down on sanctuary cities."

"It's game on," Homan told Fox News, a day after Mamdani declared victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary.

Indian-origin candidate Mamdani and a Democratic socialist emerged with a commanding lead in the Democratic mayoral primary, over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who conceded late Tuesday.

First Muslim Mayor of New York

If elected, he would become the first Muslim mayor of New York City. However, Republicans allege that he is not American enough, as he has been a citizen for less than 10 years.

"It's finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous," Trump wrote. "He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he's not very smart, he's got AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin' Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!" he added.

After Mamdani's victory, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a staunch immigration hawk, said that it is the "clearest warning yet of what happens to a society when it fails to control migration."

"The entire Democrat party is lining up behind the diehard socialist who wants to end all immigration enforcement and abolish the prison system entirely," he added.

Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee called him, "little Muhammad" and said he's "an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York." "He needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalisation proceedings," he added. South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace posted a poll and asked if Mamdani should be denaturalised and deported.

The process of denaturalisation or legally revoking someone's citizenship, is rare in the United States. It is only possible, if the individual obtained it through fraud or deliberate misrepresentation, if the person was associated with a group promoting violent overthrow of the US government within five years of naturalisation, or if the individual had committed serious crimes like terrorism or war crimes before becoming a citizen and failed to disclose them during the process.

Experts argue that Republicans are calling for the deportation of Mamdani for several reasons, primarily stemming from his progressive political views, his relatively recent naturalized U.S. citizenship, and past statements.

Democratic Socialist Ideology

Mamdani identifies as a democratic socialist and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. His platform includes policies such as universal pre-kindergarten, increased taxes on the wealthy and corporations, city-owned grocery stores, fare-free public transit, and a rent freeze. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have labeled him a "100% Communist Lunatic," arguing that his socialist policies would "destroy" New York City.

Mamdani was born in Uganda and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. Some Republicans highlight this fact, arguing that he has only been an American citizen for a short period and implying he is not "American enough" to hold such a prominent public office.

Alleged Terrorist Links

Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN) has specifically called for an investigation into Mamdani's citizenship, alleging he may have obtained it through "wilful misrepresentation or concealment of material support for terrorism." This claim is partly based on Mamdani's past rap lyrics, where he referenced the "Holy Land Five," a group convicted of funding Hamas. Republicans argue that publicly praising a group convicted of financing terrorism raises concerns about whether Mamdani failed to disclose affiliations or sympathies during his naturalization process.

Mamdani has vowed to "kick the fascist ICE out" of New York City and bolster sanctuary city policies. This stance is a direct challenge to Republican immigration enforcement priorities, leading figures like Trump's former border czar Tom Homan to issue warnings that federal law would "double down and triple down on sanctuary cities."

Islamophobic and Racist Attacks

Beyond the policy disagreements, Mamdani has faced what supporters and Democratic colleagues have condemned as racist and Islamophobic attacks. Some Republicans have used derogatory terms and made veiled references to 9/11, implying a connection due to his Muslim faith and background.

Organizations like the New York Young Republican Club have explicitly called for the invocation of the Red Scare-era Communist Control Act to strip Mamdani's citizenship and deport him. While legal experts generally agree that denaturalization is an extremely difficult and rare process that requires proving fraud in the citizenship application, these calls reflect a strong desire among some Republicans to prevent Mamdani from becoming mayor.