Jersey City mayoral candidate dubbed ‘black Zohran Mamdani’ vows to provide free legal services for illegal immigrants facing deportation

Ali was born in Pakistan in 1997 and came to the US at the age of three with his family. Ali was the youngest elected official in Jersey City’s history at the age of 20 and was the youngest Muslim in elected office at the time. Ali founded the Ali Leadership Institute, which aims to "train the next generation of activists, organizers, and grassroots leaders.”

Among Ali’s platform points is a section called "defense against Trump," in which he vows to "protect our immigrants."

"Jersey City has long refused to cooperate with ICE beyond what federal law requires. But now we must go further: training local agencies on legal boundaries, working with schools to ensure ICE cannot access students, and funding legal defense for immigrants facing deportation. We will guarantee that federal court orders are respected and enforced. No family will be removed from our city without due process," Ali’s campaign website said.

He also vows to "stand with workers targeted by DOGE layoffs," and plans to create a "Federal Worker Recovery Program," which offers "job training, placement support, and emergency financial assistance. We will partner with state agencies to move displaced workers into public service roles. If Washington won't respect public servants, Jersey City will."

In addition, Ali has vowed to defend against Trump through direct support to small businesses by establishing a "Tariff Relief Fund" and "fight back politically." Ali will "codify resistance" through the introduction of a "Safe City Ordinance," which will "codify our resistance to ICE collaboration and protect the privacy of our residents. And we will work with state legislators to pass the Immigrant Trust Act and oppose the Liberation Day tariffs through city resolution."

In a video posted to social media in October, Ali said, "Hey, it’s me, black Zohran Mamdani, that’s what you guys keep calling me on the internet. I prefer if you call me by my actual name." He later added, "The system isn’t broken, it’s just working for someone else. Donors call the shots. Developers make profit. Services get cut, and the rest of us pay the price."

Ali has received high-profile endorsements in the race, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ro Khanna, Rashida Tlaib, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. A recent poll revealed that Ali was trailing other candidates by the race. The internal poll for Bill O’Dea’s mayoral campaign showed James J McGreecy leading with 23 percent support, O’Dea and James Solomon tied at 20 percent, and Ali at 12 percent.