NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani brags $2.1B fund for undocumented workers as one of his “greatest victories”

• Mamdani drew renewed attention for calling the $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund, which provided unemployment benefits to undocumented immigrants, one of his “greatest victories” in a 2021 interview.
• A self-described democratic socialist, Mamdani’s campaign emphasizes immigrant rights, sanctuary city expansion and legal protections for undocumented residents.
• He has pledged $65 million in taxpayer funds for gender-affirming care for minors and proposed a new “Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs” at City Hall, along with investigations into hospitals that halted such treatments.
• Mamdani supports a citywide rent freeze and the creation of government-run grocery stores, to be funded by increased taxes on high earners, raising fears of a tax-driven exodus by wealthy residents.
• He remains the only major candidate opposing NYPD staffing increases and is a vocal supporter of the anti-Israel BDS movement, positions that have amplified concerns about his priorities and judgment.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is under renewed scrutiny following resurfaced comments in which he described securing unemployment benefits for undocumented immigrants as one of his “greatest victories” during a 2021 interview.

Mamdani, a state assemblyman representing Queens and a self-described democratic socialist, was referring to the creation of the Excluded Workers Fund, a $2.1 billion initiative passed during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The fund provided relief to undocumented workers who were ineligible for federal and state unemployment programs. (Related: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to spend another $2.4B on benefits for illegal immigrants.)

“When I think of the greatest victories in Albany this year, I think the excluded workers fund,” Mamdani said during the 2021 interview with SAAG Interactive. “And what this fund would do is provide some modicum of relief. And this fund was won in many ways because of the pressure brought by those that the state doesn’t even recognize, the state does not even see.”

“Without the pressure from those individuals, members of the state would never have taken this action because nothing happens because of benevolence, it happens because of pressure,” he added.

Mamdani, who immigrated from Uganda and became a U.S. citizen in 2018, has made immigrant rights a central plank of his campaign platform. His website outlines proposals to expand New York City’s sanctuary city policies, end all cooperation between the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and fund legal defense programs for undocumented residents.

Mamdani’s radical agenda raises alarms as mayoral campaign falters

Mamdani has built his campaign on a series of controversial and ambitious policy proposals.

According to a recent report from the New York Sun, Mamdani’s campaign has pledged to allocate $65 million in public funds toward “gender-affirming care” for youth and create a new taxpayer-funded “Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs” within City Hall. He has also vowed to investigate hospitals that have discontinued such services, accusing them of bowing to pressure from the federal government.

He has also planned to freeze rent citywide by overhauling the Rent Guidelines Board and appointed allies who would implement a complete halt on rent increases. Another key initiative in Mamdani’s platform is the creation of government-run grocery stores aimed at addressing food deserts and reducing prices. To finance these programs, Mamdani proposes further tax increases on high earners and corporations. Yet with wealthy residents already contributing an estimated 41 percent of the state’s income tax revenue, many fear this could trigger an economic exodus.

Mamdani also remains the only major candidate who refuses to support hiring more NYPD officers, despite softening his rhetoric on “defunding the police.” Additionally, he has been a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

However, critics argued that Mamdani’s proposals are economically unsound and potentially harmful to the city.

They warn that a rent freeze could worsen the housing crisis by discouraging maintenance and reducing available units, while government-run grocery stores may lead to inefficiencies and higher costs for taxpayers. Additionally, his plan to fund these programs through higher taxes on the wealthy risks driving out top earners who already contribute a significant share of state revenue, potentially destabilizing the city’s tax base.

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Watch as Tom Homan explains how illegal immigrants are gaming the system.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

USDA tightens SNAP eligibility rules to prevent benefits for illegal immigrants.

Rep. Chip Roy introduces bill cracking down on illegal immigrants voting in federal elections.

Washington Democrats introduce legislation prohibiting child care workers from reporting illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

New York City provides prepaid debit cards to illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants leaving U.S. hospitals with BILLIONS in unpaid medical bills.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NYPost.com

Brighteon.com