Early Childhood Education Policy

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that the city’s universal pre‑K and 3‑K programs for children turning 3 or 4 in 2026 will enroll “every single New Yorker” regardless of immigration status and will not ask families about children’s status during enrollment. In a media roundtable, he stressed that all children in the city are “New Yorkers” who should have access to free early‑childhood programs that can save families tens of thousands of dollars a year in childcare costs. Mamdani also reiterated New York’s sanctuary‑city rules, saying ICE agents are barred from schools, hospitals and other city property unless they present a judicial warrant signed by a judge, and that agents usually carry only administrative warrants or no paperwork. The clarification came after a reporter asked how the city will keep families safe from ICE amid rising national tension over immigration enforcement and recent high‑profile raids in other states. The policy puts New York firmly on the side of including undocumented children in public early‑education while limiting federal immigration agents’ access to those settings, a stance likely to draw fire from immigration‑hardline politicians and praise from immigrant‑rights groups watching how big cities respond to Trump‑era enforcement.