In a move that critics are calling deeply Islamophobic and politically unhinged, Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles has demanded the denaturalization and deportation of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani—based on a single line from a rap he recorded eight years ago.
Ogles posted a letter he sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, asking the Department of Justice to initiate denaturalization proceedings against Mamdani, citing lyrics that expressed solidarity with the “Holy Land Five”—a group of Muslim charity officials convicted in a controversial 2008 terrorism case.
“Zohran ‘little muhammad’ Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York,” Ogles ranted on X. “He needs to be DEPORTED.”
The letter accuses Mamdani of concealing “material support for terrorism” during his naturalization process—a baseless claim based entirely on a 2017 lyric: “Free the Holy Land Five / My guys.”
But civil liberties groups and legal scholars say the attack is legally absurd and rooted in dangerous bigotry.
The Holy Land Foundation, once the largest Muslim charity in the U.S., was shut down post-9/11, and while its leaders were convicted under material support laws, Human Rights Watch has noted they were never accused of funding actual attacks. The prosecution was widely criticized as an overreach that criminalized humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Mamdani, who just pulled off a historic upset against Andrew Cuomo to become NYC’s Democratic mayoral nominee, has long championed tenants’ rights and affordable living. His bold progressive platform has galvanized working-class voters—but also unleashed a wave of right-wing fury.
Jewish progressive groups have condemned Ogles’ letter, noting the conflation of Muslim identity and terrorism is both harmful and false. Mamdani himself has reported multiple threats—including bomb threats and death messages telling him “the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.”
Despite the intimidation, Mamdani remains defiant. During his victory speech, he addressed the smear campaigns and Islamophobia: “Our campaign was not only about justice—it became a battleground for what kind of city, and what kind of country, we want to live in.”
As the GOP continues to weaponize fear and xenophobia, this case may become a national flashpoint about free speech, race, religion, and who truly belongs in America.