{"id":23099,"date":"2026-05-21T22:02:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/albany-reels-in-ice\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T22:02:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T22:02:22","slug":"albany-reels-in-ice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/albany-reels-in-ice\/","title":{"rendered":"Albany reels in ICE"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Gov.<\/p>\n

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 51<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

CROWD CONTROL:<\/b> State Democrats are aligned on reining in ICE \u2014 but there\u2019s sharp disagreements over whether the measures will meaningfully impact the NYPD.<\/p>\n

Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers passed a package of measures this afternoon that seek to curtail federal immigration enforcement agents\u2019 operations in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cTom Homan can shove it,\u201d Brooklyn state Sen. Andrew Gounardes said at a press conference this morning, referring to the Trump administration\u2019s border czar.<\/p>\n

The package aims to restrict the ability of police departments like the NYPD to control crowds while federal officers conduct immigration enforcement actions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf ICE or DHS ask a local police department to facilitate their operations \u2014 lock down the street, clear out traffic, cordon off an area, put up, \u2018do not cross signs,\u2019… those types of actions would no longer be allowed,\u201d Gounardes said of the immigration package.<\/p>\n

Also in the agreement: banning masks for federal and local law enforcement and creating a list of \u201csensitive locations\u201d that ICE won\u2019t be able to enter without a judicial warrant.<\/p>\n

The slew of anti-ICE measures are just the latest effort by Democrats in blue states like New York to push back against the Trump administration\u2019s aggressive immigration tactics.<\/p>\n

But the push to prohibit local police departments from cooperating with federal immigration authorities is likely to prove messy on the ground \u2014 as evidenced by a recent fracas in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

A host of elected allies of Zohran Mamdani pointed fingers at the mayor and police commissioner Jessica Tisch earlier this month when the NYPD took steps to control a crowd of anti-ICE protesters who tried to obstruct federal officers that detained an undocumented man and transported him to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.<\/p>\n

The NYPD says officers were doing their job by responding to 911 calls about disorderly protesters \u2014 and they also say these new measures wouldn\u2019t have had any effect on how they operated that evening in front of Wykoff. During those efforts, eight people were arrested due to scuffles with cops and attempts to block the federal officers\u2019 exits. Videos depict a chaotic scene<\/a>, with the NYPD seen throwing a protester to the ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But protesters say the NYPD\u2019s efforts to control the crowd made it so the city\u2019s cops, directly or indirectly, were supporting ICE and clearing a path for their movements.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn state Sen. Julia Salazar, a key backer of the immigration measures, insists the new language from the state would\u2019ve stopped the NYPD from interfering with anti-ICE protesters outside the Brooklyn hospital that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone was quite violently taken into ICE custody by ICE agents,\u201d Salazar said, recounting the incident. \u201cThen they were taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Bushwick, and the police officers from the NYPD facilitated the entry and exit of those officers \u2014 which would be prohibited going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

An NYPD spokesperson told Playbook the \u201clegislation will not impact the NYPD because we do not engage in civil immigration enforcement, period.\u201d<\/p>\n

The actual language of the bill would bar any \u201cinformal agreement\u201d with federal immigration authorities \u201cunder which an officer or employee may engage in or assist immigration enforcement, or otherwise may perform a function of an immigration officer.\u201d The dispute over its actual effect prompts questions about the role of local cops to ensure order in the face of anti-ICE demonstrations, especially after similar protests turned deadly in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

Mamdani\u2019s spokesperson Dora Pekec said city policy already prohibits coordination between the NYPD and ICE and that \u201cthe Mayor supports this piece of legislation and has made clear that he believes ICE has no role in promoting public safety here in New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomorrow Mamdani will release a report \u2013 resulting from a February executive order<\/a> \u2013 examining all city interactions with federal immigration enforcement efforts.<\/p>\n

At a May 12 event hosted by the Association for a Better New York, Tisch slammed critics who said the NYPD was colluding with ICE at Wyckoff.<\/p>\n

\u201cNYPD officers, in the middle of the night, amid chaos outside of their control, did their job professionally and skillfully and made sure events did not spiral into a calamity,\u201d she said. \u201cThe critics of the NYPD\u2019s actions — those who would have us stand aside and call cops doing their jobs collusion \u2013 have lost sight of the lives at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wyckoff incident prompted rare public criticism of the Mamdani administration from left-leaning lawmakers who held an emergency press conference<\/a> and wrote a letter<\/a> decrying the NYPD\u2019s actions that evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey provided security for ICE,\u201d City Council member Sandy Nurse, who represents the area, said<\/a> of the incident.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Hochul spokesperson Jen Goodman said the new law \u201cwould not ban local law enforcement from actions like crowd control in the interest of protecting New Yorkers.\u201d \u2014 Jason Beeferman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

POLL-A-PALOOZA: <\/b>We\u2019ve got the latest snapshots of the city\u2019s most competitive primaries in a trio of surveys from Emerson College Polling for PIX 11<\/a> \u2014 rare outside polling in these races.<\/p>\n

The biggest gap: Former City Comptroller Brad Lander, who\u2019s challenging Rep. Dan Goldman, is leading by a whopping 34 points. The survey has Lander with 57 percent support, compared to the incumbent\u2019s 23 percent. One in five likely Democratic primary voters are undecided.<\/p>\n

Goldman\u2019s campaign was quick to dispute the results: \u201cThis poll is not remotely close to an accurate read of this race,\u201d campaign manager Simone Kanter wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cThe data we\u2019ve seen shows a dead heat after messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to argue that the survey oversampled college-educated voters and young people, writing that the poll \u201cis assuming an electorate that looks exactly like the once-in-a-generation turnout Mamdani mobilized when he was on the ballot.\u201d (Mamdani has endorsed Lander in the race, which will be a test of the mayor\u2019s political muscle.)<\/p>\n

Emily Minster, a spokesperson for Lander\u2019s campaign, said they are \u201ctaking nothing for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent internal poll<\/a> from a pro-Goldman super PAC found the incumbent trailing Lander by 5 points. Goldman has been up on the air for weeks; Lander began advertising today.<\/p>\n

The polls showed far tighter races in the other primaries for NY-07 and NY-12, which are being vacated by retiring Reps. Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez and Jerry Nadler, respectively.<\/p>\n

In NY-07, state Assemblymember Claire Valdez has 23 percent support, followed by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso with 21 percent. City Council member Julie Won comes in at 13 percent and public defender Vichal Kumar at 1 percent.<\/p>\n

Valdez leads among Hispanic voters and is running about even with Won among Asian voters.<\/p>\n

An eye-popping 43 percent of respondents are undecided \u2014 giving the campaigns a major opportunity to grow their support.<\/p>\n

The race for NY-10 is competitive between state Assemblymembers Micah Lasher and Alex Bores, who come in at 22 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg has 11 percent, while anti-Trump commentator George Conway has 10 percent and public health practitioner Nina Schwalbe has 3 percent. Around a third of respondents are undecided.<\/p>\n

Recent surveys \u2014 nearly all of which have been internal polls \u2014 also showed a tight race, with Lasher and Bores toward the front of the pack. Earlier this year, Schlossberg had a slight lead in polls. Heavy outside spending has occurred in recent weeks in favor of Lasher, as well as groups both spending for and against Bores.<\/p>\n

Mamdani has a strong approval rating in all three districts: 78 percent approve of him in the 7th, 79 percent in the 10th and 66 percent in the 12th.<\/p>\n

The polls were conducted May 16-17 among likely Democratic primary voters. In the 7th, there were 350 respondents and a margin of error of plus-or-minus 5.2 percentage points. In the 10th, there were 450 respondents and a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.6 percentage points. In the 12th, there were 425 respondents and a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.8 percentage points. \u2014 Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

NOT THERE:<\/b> Democrats are feeling good heading into this year\u2019s midterms. But good enough to not donate to battleground Rep. Laura Gillen?<\/p>\n

Oath, a donor platform<\/a> that measures which Democrats it would be most effective to support, shared new recommendations for which candidates should make the cut, our colleagues in D.C. reported this morning<\/a>. Among those who fall into the do-not-donate category is Gillen, whose Long Island seat that she narrowly flipped in 2024 is widely considered a crucial 2026 contest for control of the House. In a memo, Oath rationalized that Gillen\u2019s seat is \u201cmoving into safe Democratic territory\u201d and \u201cdoes not have a Republican opponent who even raised $100,000.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s unclear how much Hempstead Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll, local Republicans\u2019 candidate of choice, has raised. She entered the race in April \u2014 after the second fundraising quarter began \u2014 and has not filed a financial report with the Federal Election Commission. Driscoll\u2019s primary opponent<\/a>, Air Force veteran Marvin Williams, has raised close to $90,000 \u2014 most of which was self-funded.<\/p>\n

Also adding uncertainty to upcoming elections<\/a> is a pending case in the Supreme Court that could open the floodgates to massive political spending from the national parties and benefit Republicans.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaura Gillen is running in a fiercely competitive Frontline seat,\u201d Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Riya Vashi said in a statement. \u201cThe DCCC is committed to ensuring Laura has the resources and support she needs to win this November.\u201d \u2014 Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

From the Capitol<\/h3>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS:<\/b> The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has spent months working with other agencies planning for \u201cnightmare scenarios\u201d involving waylaid trains and buses during the World Cup, its executive director said Thursday.<\/p>\n

Those plans could come in handy given the history of heat-related problems in the region and a pair<\/a> of fires<\/a> that disrupted service in and out of Penn Station in the past week.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Transit\u2019s backup plan for waylaid trains is a fleet of buses to carry fans. But those buses also break down in the heat and will need to get through the Port Authority\u2019s tunnels to reach MetLife Stadium where eight World Cup matches will be played. So the Port Authority is working on a backup plan for the backup plan, including freeing up lanes in the Lincoln Tunnel that normally go in one direction to go in another.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be July, it\u2019s going to be hot, on any given day we have bus break downs because the engine gets too hot,\u201d Port Authority head Kathryn Garcia told reporters following a board meeting today. \u201cWe need to be able to be very flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Port Authority Chair Kevin O\u2019Toole said during the hottest day last week he was behind a bus that broke down in the Lincoln Tunnel. Within five minutes a tow truck was there and another bus came to pick up the passengers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to anticipate certain breakdowns and hopefully we can do our best to accommodate the public,” he said. \u2014 Ry Rivard<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM CITY HALL<\/h3>\n

\"Mayor<\/p>\n

NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE<\/b>: Mamdani announced a deal today to provide 1,000 World Cup tickets to New Yorkers at $50 a pop.<\/p>\n

The mayor unveiled his discount ticket scheme this morning at a beer garden in Harlem, rattling off teams, players and moments from World Cups of yore before getting to the meat of his announcement.<\/p>\n

“We’re so excited, frankly, because we know that there are so many New Yorkers who thought that there was no way they could afford to go to this tournament, and now there is that glimpse of an opportunity,” the mayor said.<\/p>\n

But New Jersey Democrats were having none of it. They attacked FIFA \u2013 soccer\u2019s global governing body \u2013 for the discounted tickets, which are only available to New York residents, even though the matches are being played in the Garden State.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis publicity stunt does nothing to address the cost of tickets,” New Jersey Democratic Reps. Nellie Pou and Frank Pallone said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill\u2019s spokesperson, Stephen Sigmund, said \u201cFIFA not caring about costs for New Jersey residents isn’t new.\u201d<\/p>\n

FIFA said the agreement was between the local host committee and the mayor\u2019s office, and that FIFA was only involved in ensuring the tickets went to fans who genuinely planned to attend rather than sell tickets.<\/p>\n

New York and New Jersey officials have repeatedly sparred<\/a> over how to run the upcoming tournament, despite being co-hosts. Most of that dust up to date has been over dueling bus and train services to get fans to matches. \u2014 Ry Rivard and Joe Anuta\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In Other News<\/h3>\n

\u2014 SUITED UP: <\/b>Mamdani\u2019s top lawyer, Ramzi Kaseem, brings a history of suing the NYPD and defending high-profile civil liberties cases to City Hall. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 ICED OUT: <\/b>A Manhattan parking garage removed federal vehicles after protesters alleged they were being used by immigration enforcement agents. (Gothamist<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 SHEIK UP:<\/b> The Mamdani administration distanced itself from the views of an Islamic leader who has cast doubts on basic facts about the Holocaust. The mayor has met with the controversial figure at least three times since January 2025. (Washington Free Beacon<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 51 CROWD CONTROL: State Democrats are aligned on reining in ICE \u2014 but there\u2019s sharp disagreements over whether the measures will meaningfully impact the NYPD. Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers passed a package of measures this afternoon that seek to curtail federal immigration enforcement agents\u2019 operations in New York. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23100,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23099","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}