The mayor delivered his address<\/a> alongside 10 newly naturalized citizens, who were holding miniature flags, as he reflected on his path of becoming an American citizen<\/a> in 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cYou each hold a special power, the power to determine what America means,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The speech, given at the writing desk that once belonged to President George Washington, did not directly name President Donald Trump, but it was a clear rebuke to the president\u2019s immigration crackdown and politics of exclusion. Mamdani cast immigrants as impactful contributors to the progress of America, drawing a striking contrast to the recent campaign-style speeches<\/a> given by Trump at various 250th anniversary celebrations that have focused on preserving monuments and included attacks on political adversaries.<\/p>\n New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech Friday to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States at City Hall in New York. via Associated Press<\/p>\n Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mayor\u2019s address came just hours before the president was expected to head to South Dakota to speak at Mount Rushmore on Friday evening.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Thomas Paine once wrote, this new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty. Hither have they fled,\u201d Mamdani said, quoting from Paine\u2019s revolutionary 1776 pamphlet \u201cCommon Sense,\u201d which argued the U.S. should be a haven for those escaping political and religious oppression in Europe.<\/p>\n Politics: ‘It’s A Very Dangerous Statement’: Trump Warns Mamdani About His Victory Speech<\/a><\/p>\n Mamdani also addressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, describing them as \u201cmasked agents terrorizing our streets\u201d and \u201cspiriting\u201d undocumented New Yorkers away.<\/p>\n He similarly described \u201cthe powerful\u201d and their policy approach to immigration as \u201can arena of supremacy where only a select few are allowed freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/9300d0fe1cf9e4226b78e1ad0ac7035b.jpeg\"\/)
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