New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew sharp legal and political rebukes on Monday after saying his administration was reviewing options to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the city. Constitutional scholars said the mayor has no such authority.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who took office in January, told reporters last week that his office was examining the matter in light of the International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu. The United States is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction, complicating any enforcement.

Constitutional scholars at New York University School of Law noted that foreign heads of government enjoy immunity under U.S. and international law. Immigration and foreign affairs fall under federal, not municipal, control, they said. City police cannot detain a sitting foreign leader.

The White House and Republican officials condemned the mayor's remarks, with critics calling them a symbolic gesture with no legal force. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that Washington does not recognize the ICC's authority over Israeli or American officials.

Mamdani's office defended the review as consistent with his campaign pledges on international human rights, while acknowledging the legal constraints. The controversy underscored tensions between the mayor's progressive base and the practical limits of municipal power on foreign policy.