New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city will provide free childcare for all those in the city, including illegal immigrants.
“All of those children are New Yorkers. They should all be enrolled in 3-K and pre-K, no matter where they were born or where they come from. And we are also proud to be a sanctuary city,” Mamdani stated during a recent press conference.
“We have policies in place, policies that have existed for years in this city that deny ICE agents access into schools, hospitals, city properties, or even the properties of city contractors unless those ICE agents can present a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” he added.
The plan for universal childcare was announced earlier this month through an $8 billion investment in the state’s childcare infrastructure.
“Over the past 14 months, a movement was born to fight for a city where every New Yorker could afford a life of dignity and every family could afford to raise their kids. Today, Governor Hochul and I meet that movement as we celebrate our joint commitment to universal child care,” Mamdani said upon sharing the plan. “This victory represents much more than a triumph of city and state government working in partnership—it is proof that when New Yorkers come together, we can transform the way government serves working families.”
Last last year,, Mamdani asserted that New York City will always be “for all immigrants.”
He declared that residents “can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,” and went on to say that “ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.” Mamdani then displayed a warrant, stating, “If ICE does not have a judicial warrant, signed by a judge, you have the right to say, ‘ I do not consent to entry’, and the right to keep your door closed.”
