Latest news with #JerroldNadler
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Mamdani's Victory Spotlights a Deepening Rupture Among U.S. Jews
New York's annual parade celebrating Israel has been a standard stop for the state's politicians for the last 60 years, drawing in governors, senators and every mayor since Robert F. Wagner to pay their respects to the Jewish community. Now, as Israel's standing in the United States has fallen precipitously since the Gaza war, New York City Democrats have nominated a mayoral candidate who does not shy away from his record of anti-Israel activism, underlining an extraordinary departure from past mayors and from current Democratic leadership in Washington. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's victory in the city with the largest Jewish population in the world offered the starkest evidence yet that outspoken opposition to Israel and its government — and even questioning its existence as a Jewish state — is increasingly acceptable to broader swaths of the party, even in areas where pro-Israel Jews have long been a bedrock part of the Democratic coalition. Some surveys showed Mr. Mamdani winning as many as one in five Jewish Democrats, with supporters including Brad Lander, the city's comptroller, who also ran for mayor and encouraged his supporters to back Mr. Mamdani through a cross-endorsement. And on Wednesday, Representative Jerrold Nadler, one of the city's most prominent Jewish leaders, endorsed Mr. Mamdani, saying they would work together 'to fight against all bigotry and hate.' But for other Jews around the country who were already struggling with their place in the progressive movement, Mr. Mamdani's stunning victory confirmed their worst fears about the direction of the American left, fueling a sense that urgent concerns about the community's safety are being dismissed in a movement and a city that Jews helped build. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Mamdani Wins Nadler's Endorsement as He Seeks to Unify Democrats
On the day after Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani emerged as the likely Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, Representative Jerrold Nadler endorsed him in November's general election, giving Mr. Mamdani a key measure of support from one of the city's most prominent Jewish leaders. Mr. Nadler, a Democrat, said Wednesday that Mr. Mamdani's victory was a 'seismic election for the Democratic Party that I can only compare to Barack Obama's in 2008.' 'Voters in New York City demanded change and, with Zohran's triumph, we have a direct repudiation of Donald Trump's politics of tax cuts and authoritarianism,' he said. During the primary, Mr. Nadler had endorsed another candidate, Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller who appeared on track to finish toward the bottom of the pack. On Wednesday, Mr. Nadler described Mr. Mamdani as 'someone who will be a partner with me in Washington to take on Donald Trump.' Mr. Mamdani is an outspoken critic of Israel's government and its war in Gaza, and was denounced by his main rival, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, and some Jewish voters over his stances. Mr. Mamdani, who would be the city's first Muslim mayor, has firmly rejected accusations of antisemitism and has responded to the criticism by saying that he would protect Jewish New Yorkers as mayor and would increase funding to address hate crimes. Mr. Nadler's endorsement could help him draw more Jewish voters into his coalition ahead of the general election, especially those on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which Mr. Nadler has long represented in Congress. 'I've spoken to him today about his commitment to fighting antisemitism, and we'll work with all New Yorkers to fight against all bigotry and hate,' Mr. Nadler said of Mr. Mamdani. Mr. Mamdani welcomed the endorsement in a statement, saying the congressman had 'charted a course of principled progressivism for decades.' 'I'm grateful for his support as we build a broad coalition of all New Yorkers and eager to work in partnership over the months to come,' he said. On Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani was taking a flood of calls from Democratic leaders, and many who had supported other candidates or stayed out of the race expressed admiration for him. One leading New York City Democrat, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chairwoman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party who has supported both Mr. Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams, also said that she planned to support Mr. Mamdani in the general election.
Boston Globe
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
ICE imposes new rules on congressional visits
Advertisement The new protocol, updated since February, comes as Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly been denied access to ICE facilities this month as they try to conduct congressional oversight, and amid high-profile clashes between federal immigration officials and members of Congress. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Democratic lawmakers in California, Illinois and New York have been turned away from ICE facilities recently, sometimes after trying in vain for hours to gain access to buildings that they say they are authorized to visit. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was Advertisement Law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies deployed at Delaney Hall, a privately run immigration detention center in Newark, amid protests outside the facility on June 13. DAKOTA SANTIAGO/NYT Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, criticized the new ICE policy as an attempt to skirt congressional oversight. In a statement, he said the new guidance was 'an affront to the Constitution and Federal law.' Thompson singled out the guidance on field offices, which he called a 'smoke screen' to prevent members from visiting offices that 'are holding migrants — and sometimes even U.S. citizens — for days at a time.' Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The new guidance spilled into public view more clearly Wednesday. In suburban Chicago, four Democratic representatives were denied access to an immigration processing facility in suburban Chicago where they believed immigrants were being held for days without access to lawyers. Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Dan Goldman, both D-N.Y., were both denied access to an ICE office in Manhattan, even as an official acknowledged that detainees were held there overnight. Both men said they requested a visit in advance. 'We were told not to,' William Joyce, the deputy director of the New York ICE field office, told them during an exchange in the building's lobby. In an email to a congressional office this week, an ICE official said that federal immigration officials were 'not facilitating any visits to ICE Field Offices or suboffices' currently because of their 'high operations tempo,' according to a congressional aide who was not authorized to discuss the message publicly. New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler (right) and Rep. Dan Goldman spoke at a news conference in Lower Manhattan after being barred Wednesday from entering and inspecting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding cells. Spencer Platt/Getty Democratic lawmakers have said that the Trump administration's escalation is precisely the reason they want to visit facilities, and that the federal government's large-scale immigration crackdown and accelerated deportation efforts demand more thorough oversight. Advertisement For months, Democrats have framed their efforts to access immigration detention and enforcement facilities as part of their constitutional duties to provide a check on the expansion of presidential power. Under the new guidance, ICE also asks for at least 72 hours' notice for a visit to its facilities. Existing guidance already required congressional staff to provide at least 24 hours' notice before visiting a detention facility. The agency also explicitly says that visitors cannot 'have any physical or verbal contact with any person in ICE detention facilities' without prior approval, and that violating that policy could lead to tours being cut short. This article originally appeared in .
The Hill
03-06-2025
- General
- The Hill
Nadler, Raskin push Jordan for investigation into DHS handcuffing of staffer
Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) are demanding House Judiciary Republicans launch an investigation after officers from the Department of Homeland Security pushed their way into the New York Democrat's office and handcuffed one of his staffers. The incident began after Nadler's office last week allowed protestors to enter their office after demonstrating at an immigration court housed within the same federal building. While DHS accused the congressional office of 'harboring rioters,' Nadler referred to those in his office as 'observers.' 'A statement issued later by DHS claimed the agents were doing a 'security check,' and yet the video that has been released shows them handcuffing a staffer, demanding access to non-public areas of Rep. Nadler's office, and never once asking about the safety and security of his staff,' Nadler and Raskin, the top Democrat on the panel, wrote in the joint letter. 'These types of intimidation tactics are completely unwarranted and cannot be tolerated. The decision to enter a congressional office and detain a congressional staff member demonstrates a deeply troubling disregard for proper legal boundaries. We call on you, as Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, to condemn this aggressive affront to the separation of powers and the safety of Members of Congress, our staff, and our constituents.' Nadler during an interview on CNN on Monday blasted DHS, accusing them of lying about the incident. 'They barged in. And in barging in one of the offices, a very big, heavyset fellow pushed my aide — a very petite young woman — and they then said that she pushed back and they shackled her and took her downstairs,' Nadler told the outlet. 'And she was obviously traumatized.' Video of the incident shows a Nadler staffer crying as she is handcuffed. DHS later clarified the agents were Federal Protective Service personnel, who provide security at federal buildings. The officials were not there to harass Nadler's staff, the agency said, but to protect it. But the statement does not mention that nearly two dozen people were arrested in connection with the protests. 'Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers responded to information that protesters were present inside U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler's District Office in Manhattan, New York. Based on earlier incidents in a nearby facility, FPS officers were concerned about the safety of the federal employees in the office and went to the location to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those present. Upon arrival, officers were granted entry and encountered four individuals,' DHS said in a statement. 'Officers identified themselves and explained their intent to conduct a security check, however, one individual became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office. The officers then detained the individual in the hallway for the purpose of completing the security check. All were released without further incident.' Jordan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The two Democratic lawmakers called the incident 'part of a broader pattern by President Donald J. Trump and DHS of using unlawful, chaotic, and reckless tactics in communities across America.' 'The time is now to halt the use of these illegitimate tactics and to ensure that DHS complies with the law and with the norms of common human decency,' they wrote.
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Democratic Congress member demands investigation after staffer handcuffed by DHS
Democratic Congress member demands investigation after staffer handcuffed by DHS The incident, which occurred on May 28, began after the staffer saw federal agents detaining migrants outside a courtroom. Show Caption Hide Caption First 'self deportation' flight leaves with group of migrants The first Department of Homeland Security 'self deportation' flight left with a group of 64 migrants. 'She was obviously traumatized. Now the fact is that this was totally unacceptable, the tactics were totally unacceptable, and they needed a warrant,' Nadler told CNN. Nadler claimed that one of the officers pushed his aide and she pushed back, and was then shackled. WASHINGTON - Rep. Jerrold Nadler is demanding a congressional investigation after an aide at his Manhattan office was handcuffed and detained by Department of Homeland Security officers. The incident, which occurred on May 28, began after the staffer saw federal agents detaining migrants outside a courtroom located in the same building as the New York Democrat's office, according to The New York Times. Robert Gottheim, Nadler's chief of staff, told The New York Times in an interview that staff members had invited immigration rights advocates who witnessed the detentions to the office. Nadler alleged in a CNN interview on June 2 that the officers had "barged" into his office because the officers were "upset" that his staff members watched them detain immigrants. "And they were upset that my staff invited some of the observers up to my office. They then came up to the office and demanded entrance. One of my staff members said, you can't come in here, you need a warrant. They said, 'No, we don't need a warrant,' which is incorrect," Nadler said. Nadler further claimed that one of the officers pushed his aide and she pushed back, and was then shackled. Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin alleged in a statement that the aide "became verbally confrontational and physically blocked access to the office." In a video shared by Gothamist, a New York City-focused news website that first reported the incident, an officer with the Federal Protective Service, part of the Department of Homeland Security, can be seen handcuffing an apparently distressed staffer. Another officer had confronted a second Nadler aide, who asked for a warrant. 'You're harboring rioters in the office,' the officer claimed, according to the video. Nadler wrote in a statement after the incident that no arrests were made and that he was 'alarmed by the aggressive and heavy-handed tactics' used by the Department of Homeland Security. 'She was obviously traumatized. Now the fact is that this was totally unacceptable, the tactics were totally unacceptable, and they needed a warrant,' Nadler told CNN. "And my office is a congressional office. It's a completely separate branch of government. A co-equal branch of government with the executive for which they work. And they had no right to come in." McLaughlin said in a statement the officers were conducting a security check after hearing reports that protesters were allegedly present in Nadler's office. "Based on earlier incidents in a nearby facility, FPS officers were concerned about the safety of the federal employees in the office and went to the location to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those present," she said. Nadler said he is writing a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, demanding an investigation of the incident. USA TODAY reached out to the House Judiciary Committee for comment.
