Mamdani says NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani clarified Friday that the city will not verify the immigration status of children enrolled in his administration’s universal pre-kindergarten and 3-K program.

“Just to put it very clearly, these are programs for every New Yorker,” Mamdani, who took office earlier this year, said during a media roundtable. “These are not programs that are going to ask about the immigration status of any of the children.”

He added, “All of these kids 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’re also proud to be a sanctuary city.”

He added that this means ICE agents are denied access to schools, hospitals and city properties “unless those ICE agents can present a court warrant signed by a judge.” We know that the vast majority of the time, ICE agents do not present this type of documentation.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani clarified Friday that the city will not verify the immigration status of children enrolled in his administration’s universal pre-kindergarten and 3-K classes. (Mayor Zohran Mamdani)

The mayor said earlier that the program was open to all New Yorkers whose children will be 3 or 4 years old at any time in 2026, adding that the program could save New Yorkers tens of thousands of dollars a year “by providing them with free child care.”

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Mamdani welcomes students from a New York school in December. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Mamdani continued: “So we want to clarify the rights of every New Yorker that they have in this city, this program is made available to everyone, and the fact that we are proud of our values, we are proud of our laws. They keep us safe and they are also an integral part of who we are.”

Mamdani made the statement after a reporter asked what the city would do to protect the families of ICE agents.

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An anti-ICE protester holding a sign Friday in New York. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

The plan to expand free and affordable child care in New York was unveiled this month by Mamdani in partnership with New York Governor Kathy Hochul.