President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist nominee for New York City mayor, could be arrested if he attempts to obstruct federal immigration enforcement, as reported by Newsmax.

Speaking during a tour of the new “Alligator Alcatraz” immigrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, Trump warned that Mamdani’s stated plans to shut ICE out of New York City facilities would not go unchallenged.

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Dec 8, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; President Donald Trump stands with West Point cadets during the 119th Army-Navy game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

“We don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump said, according to Newsweek. “We’ll have to arrest him if he fights ICE.”

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Mamdani, 33, a state assemblyman from Queens and self-described Democratic Socialist, recently defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and other candidates to secure the Democratic nomination.

He has pledged to eliminate city cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if elected.

The Trump administration has made enforcement of immigration laws a central priority, and the president made clear that Mamdani’s proposed policies would meet federal resistance.

Earlier in the day, before departing the White House for Florida, Trump addressed reporters and reiterated his position.

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“He has to go right through this building to get his money,” Trump said. “Don’t worry, he’s not gonna run away with anything.”

The president also hinted at questions about Mamdani’s background. “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” Trump said. “Ideally, he’s going to be less than a communist. But right now that’s a communist, that’s not a socialist.”

Mamdani was born in Uganda and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University, and his mother, Mira Nair, is an Indian-American filmmaker.

Mamdani has denied being a communist and has criticized Trump on his campaign website, stating that the president is “tearing at the fabric of New York City in his second term” and has “deployed ICE agents to pluck New Yorkers from their families.”

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Despite Mamdani’s criticism, Trump doubled down on his remarks Tuesday, calling the assemblyman a “total nut job” and suggesting the administration would closely monitor his activities if he becomes mayor.

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