New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that the city will not check the immigration status of children enrolling in his administration’s universal pre-K and 3-K programs. “Just to put it very clearly, these are programs for every single New Yorker,” Mamdani said during a media roundtable discussion.
“These are not programs that are going to ask the immigration status of any one of the children. All of those children are New Yorkers,” he added. “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 said the city’s sanctuary policies mean Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are denied access to schools, hospitals, and city properties unless they present a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
“We know that the vast majority of the time, ICE agents are not presenting that kind of documentation,” Mamdani said. “If they’re presenting any kind of documentation, it tends to be an administrative warrant. And a lot of times, there isn’t any kind of documentation provided.”
The mayor said earlier this month that the expanded pre-K and 3-K programs are open to all New York City residents with children turning 3 or 4 at any point in 2026.
He said the initiative could save families tens of thousands of dollars per year by providing free childcare.
“So we want to make clear the rights of every New Yorker that they have in this city,” Mamdani said. “This program is being made available to all, and the fact that we are proud of our values, we are proud of our laws. They keep us safe, and they are also part and parcel of who we are.”
Mamdani made the remarks after a reporter asked how the city would protect families from immigration enforcement while children are enrolled in city run programs.
The plan to expand free and affordable childcare across New York City was unveiled earlier this month in partnership with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Mamdani is facing a wave of criticism after fares for city buses increased this month, though he promised free buses for all residents during his campaign. New York City transit riders began paying higher fares this week after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a long-planned increase, raising the base fare for buses and subways from $2.90 to $3.
Reduced fares rose to $1.50, while express bus fares increased to $7.25, Newsweek reported.
The fare hike took effect shortly after Mamdani assumed office as mayor, drawing criticism online from residents who pointed to his campaign pledge to make city buses free. Critics argued the increase highlights a gap between campaign rhetoric and the financial realities of governing the nation’s largest city, the report said.
In response to the criticism, Mamdani posted on social media that he rode the Q70 bus, the city’s only fare-free route, over the weekend to hear from riders. He did not announce any immediate changes to fare policy.
“Today, New York City subway and bus fares rose from $2.90 to $3. I spent the evening riding the only free bus in the city, the Q70, to hear what a fare free ride has meant for New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote on X on Sunday. “What was clear right away was the relief this one bus line gives working class New Yorkers. Imagine if every bus felt like this.”
