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Immigration

Immigration in New York

The shelters, the work permits, the courts, and the communities at the center of the biggest local story of the decade, reported from inside them rather than from a press conference. We name what changed and who it changed for.

Desks we analyze here: Documented NY, El Diario NY, Epicenter NYC.

The coverage, newest first

5 stories
  1. June 26, 2026 Supreme Court TPS Ruling Ends Legal Status for 40,000 Haitian New Yorkers Forty thousand New York State residents woke up Friday with no path forward, and a State Department travel warning that still says the country they... 1/10 desks
  2. June 26, 2026 Federal Indictment Charges Former Adams Chief of Staff in Migrant Shelter Bribery The city's own agency said no twice. City Hall said yes anyway. Prosecutors say it cost $120,000. 1/10 desks
  3. June 25, 2026 Mamdani's Congressional Sweep A year after taking City Hall, the mayor's machine ousted two sitting members of Congress and a borough president from his own party, and the general... 4/10 desks
  4. June 23, 2026 A casino is coming to Queens, and it just cost two Jessicas an election The Citi Field casino is a done deal. The Senate race next to it is being fought as if it weren't. 1/10 desks
  5. June 23, 2026 The "mega master" hearings built to make New Yorkers miss court Dozens of cases in a day, interpreters dropping off the line, and a deportation order waiting for anyone who doesn't show. 1/10 desks

Immigration, explained

The questions New Yorkers actually ask.

Why is immigration such a big local story in New York?

Because it is decided here as much as in Washington. The city runs the shelters and the right-to-shelter rules, the state sets much of the policy and funding, and federal enforcement plays out on these streets. New York is also a city built and run by immigrants, so it is a daily story, not a talking point.

What does "sanctuary city" actually mean?

It means the city limits how much its own agencies, mostly the NYPD and the jails, cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. It does not mean the city blocks federal agents. The exact lines are set by local law and fought over constantly, so we cover the specifics, not the slogan.

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