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De Blasio: New York City Will Resist Any Federal Muslim Registry

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday vowed to fight the federal government if it forces Muslims to register, or requests any information from New York City ID cards.

As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, two dozen New Yorkers of multiple races, religions, and national origins were the backdrop as Mayor de Blasio made the announcement.

"It's important to say out loud there's a lot of fear out there," de Blasio said.

The mayor said the election of President-elect Donald Trump was not an end, but a beginning.

"If all Muslims are required to register, we will take legal action to block it," de Blasio said.

De Blasio said the city will also refuse federal orders that would tear families apart, would disobey any Justice Department order to ramp up stop and frisk policing tactics, and vowed the city would never turn over New York City ID records to the federal government.

Meanwhile Monday, police Commissioner James O'Neill said hate crimes are up considerably since Election Day on Nov. 8, compared with the same period last year.

"I took a look at the numbers, the hate crime numbers since the Election Day so that's 13 days," O'Neill said. "We are up considerably -- 28 this year versus six last year -- which is a considerable increase."

O'Neill said most of the hate crimes are anti-Semitic graffiti related and nonviolent.

When asked if the hate crimes feed off each other, O'Neill said once the NYPD makes an arrest it hopes to find out the motivations.

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