GOP Congressman Calls for Deportation of Muslim Mayoral Candidate Over Rap Lyrics

Congressman Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is calling for the deportation of Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist poised to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Ogles fired off a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, demanding that Mamdani be investigated and potentially stripped of his U.S. citizenship.

The basis? A 2017 rap song in which Mamdani referred to the “Holy Land Five,” as “my guys.” The “Holy Land Five” were members of a now-defunct Muslim charity convicted in 2008 of funneling money to Hamas. The case drew widespread criticism from Human Rights Watch, legal scholars, and civil rights advocates, who argued the trial was marred by prosecutorial overreach and Islamophobia.

“Publicly praising the Foundation’s convicted leadership as ‘my guys’ raises serious concerns about whether Mr. Mamdani held affiliations or sympathies he failed to disclose during the naturalization process,” Ogles wrote.

He acknowledged that free speech protections might be raised, but insisted rap lyrics could point to undisclosed ties relevant to citizenship eligibility.

“If an individual publicly glorifies a group convicted of financing terrorism, it is entirely appropriate for federal authorities to inquire whether that individual engaged in non-public forms of support,” Ogles claimed, suggesting Mamdani might have withheld critical information on his naturalization application.

Ogles didn’t stop there. In a social media post, he referred to Mamdani, who moved to New York at age 7 and became a U.S. citizen in 2018, as “little muhammad,” adding, “He needs to be DEPORTED.”

Mamdani, now a New York State Assembly member representing Queens, has faced a surge of right-wing attacks as his mayoral campaign has gained momentum.

Earlier this month, a Queens councilwoman joined the chorus, prompting Mamdani to respond on X.

“Death threats. Islamophobic bigotry. Now a sitting council member calling for my deportation. Enough. This is what Trump and his sycophants have wrought,” he wrote.

Ogles, a hardline Trump supporter known for introducing legislation that would let the former president run for a third term, has a history of controversy, including a family Christmas card featuring his young children holding firearms. And he’s not alone. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) posted a poll on X Thursday asking followers whether Mamdani should be denaturalized and deported.

Whether that could actually happen is unclear. Denaturalization is an extreme and rare legal process that requires the government to prove in court that a person obtained citizenship fraudulently or through willful misrepresentation. Even then, the burden of proof is high and the legal standard is murky.

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