Norms Impact
GOP Rep. Claims ‘Muslims Don’t Belong In American Society’: ‘Pluralism Is a Lie’
A member of Congress publicly urged DOJ to deport an elected mayor while declaring an entire religious group “doesn’t belong,” collapsing immigration enforcement into partisan punishment.
Mar 9, 2026
Sources
Summary
A sitting U.S. House member said “Muslims don’t belong in American society” and declared “pluralism is a lie,” while urging the Justice Department to deport New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. A federal law-enforcement power was rhetorically positioned as a political instrument against an elected official following a public dispute over protest-related violence. The practical consequence is a normalized public template for using deportation threats and group exclusion as acceptable tools of partisan conflict.
Reality Check
Turning deportation into a public political threat against an elected official collapses law enforcement discretion into a weapon of factional conflict. When a member of Congress asserts that an entire religious community “doesn’t belong” while urging DOJ action, we move toward governance by exclusion rather than equal citizenship. This precedent trains the public to accept federal coercive power as a response to speech and political disagreement, weakening pluralism and the expectation that executive enforcement is not a tool for targeting political adversaries.
Media
Detail
<p>Rep. Andy Ogles stated on Monday that “Muslims don’t belong in American society,” adding that “pluralism is a lie.” His remarks referenced dueling protests outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City mayors, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani resides.</p><p>During the protests, two men were arrested after an improvised explosive device was found on the premises. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the case was being investigated as an “ISIS-inspired act of terrorism,” and identified suspects Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi as being interviewed by the NYPD and the FBI. Six people were arrested overall.</p><p>Mamdani condemned the protest led by influencer Jake Lang as rooted in “bigotry and racism,” and denounced the explosive device attempt as criminal. Ogles responded by calling on the Department of Justice to deport Mamdani, stating, “The @DOJ can deport him today. All they need to do is read his file.” Ogles also reposted a claim about who made the device; Tisch stated it was thrown by a counterprotester.</p>