Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state Assembly member, won the New York City mayoral race last week, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo by nearly 10 percentage points. His victory makes him the city’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor-elect, a milestone that has already drawn opposition from some Republican lawmakers in Washington, DC, who have vowed to block him from taking office.US President Donald Trump, who had earlier threatened to cut federal funding to New York City if Mamdani won, also fueled false claims about the mayor-elect’s citizenship and accused the Ugandan-born politician of being a communist.Some Republican lawmakers have called for investigations into Mamdani’s naturalisation process, demanding that he be stripped of his US citizenship and deported. They accused him, without evidence, of engaging in communist and “terrorist” activities.“If Mamdani lied on his naturalisation documents, he doesn’t get to be a citizen, and he certainly doesn’t get to run for mayor of New York City. A great American city is on the precipice of being run by a communist who has publicly embraced a terroristic ideology,” republican party’s Andy Ogles said in a news release on October 29, as cited by Al Jazeera. He also asked US attorney general Pam Bondi to look into the issue.“The American naturalisation system REQUIRES any alignments with communism or terrorist activities to be disclosed. I’m doubtful he disclosed them. If this is confirmed, put him on the first flight back to Uganda,” Ogles added.
Can Mamdani’s citizenship be revoked?
Born in Uganda, Mamdani moved to the United States in 1998 at the age of seven and became a US citizen in 2018. Typically, adults applying for naturalisation must have lived in the country continuously as lawful permanent residents for at least five years, or three years if married to a US citizen.Denaturalisation, the process of revoking citizenship, can occur only through a judicial order and is rarely used, primarily in cases involving former Nazis who fled to the US after World War II or individuals linked to “terrorism.” Immigration law experts have stated that there is no evidence to support Representative Ogles’ claims regarding Mamdani’s citizenship application.“Denaturalisation is an extreme, rare remedy that requires the government to prove either illegal procurement or a willful, material lie – at a minimum, clear, unequivocal and convincing evidence that the fact would have changed the outcome at the time of naturalisation,” immigration lawyer Jeremy McKinney was quoted as saying by PolitiFact. “I’ve seen no credible proof he was ineligible when he took the oath or that any omission was material.“The US naturalisation application includes a question about whether applicants have ever been members of, involved with, or associated with any communist or totalitarian party. However, the Democratic Socialists of America, with which Mamdani is affiliated, is not a communist organisation.The New York Young Republican Club has cited the 14th Amendment in an attempt to bar Mamdani from office, claiming he gave “aid and comfort” to US enemies by supporting “pro-Hamas” groups and opposing ICE. The effort, however, would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress and would likely face a Supreme Court challenge, making its success highly unlikely.Denaturalisation cases, though historically rare in the US, increased under the Trump administration, according to Irina Manta, a Hofstra University law professor. If Mamdani’s citizenship were revoked, he would revert to lawful permanent resident status, making him ineligible to serve as New York City mayor.
