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New Yorkers Arrested by ICE Are Choosing Departure Over Indefinite Detention

Twenty-two percent of people arrested by ICE in New York state during Trump’s second term have left the country voluntarily — up from less than 1 percent under Biden.

Liv Veazey   ·   April 21, 2026
This Data Center Is Getting a $77 Million Tax Break to Create One Job

No other project in the country has gotten such a large subsidy to create so few jobs, according to watchdogs.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 20, 2026
Watchdog Calls on State to Address Youth Prison Crisis, Citing New York Focus Reporting

A federally mandated child welfare oversight body has called on the Office of Children and Family Services to curtail facilities’ use of isolation and increase transparency.

Chris Gelardi   ·   April 17, 2026
Local Police in Westchester, Long Island Routinely Help ICE Make Arrests

A review of federal court documents by THE CITY reveals three dozen cases in which local law enforcement allegedly cooperated with ICE agents.

Gwynne Hogan   ·   April 16, 2026
Hochul Pushes Mamdani to Slow Spending in Exchange for Aid

The governor has asked for cost-cutting plans on pricey housing vouchers and public school programs, sources say.

Nick Garber   ·   April 16, 2026
Senate Dems’ Leader Defends Judiciary Chair, Despite Long Record of Botched Cases

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says she sees “no reason” to remove Senator Luis Sepúlveda as judiciary chair.

Melissa Manno and Sam Mellins   ·   April 16, 2026
New York Is Funding Private Equity’s Real Estate Buying Spree

The Carlyle Group’s effort to buy up rental housing has gotten a $578 million boost from the city and state.

Nick Garber   ·   April 16, 2026
How the New York State Budget Works

We answer your questions on the state’s notoriously opaque budget process.

Sam Mellins   ·   April 15, 2026
Senator Jamaal Bailey
Five Takeaways From Our Reporting on the Bronx Democratic Party

The Bronx Democratic Party is gaining power. So is a consulting firm tied to its chair.

Chris Bragg   ·   April 15, 2026
As the Bronx Democratic Party’s Clout Grows, So Does Its Bottom Line

The party collected record-breaking gifts from Airbnb and Uber, while party operatives lobbied Bronx lawmakers.

Chris Bragg   ·   April 13, 2026
Gas Industry Eyes Comeback as New York Weighs Climate Law Delays

Fossil fuel interests have enlisted prominent former elected officials to make the case that gas is here to stay.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 10, 2026
State Senator Luis Sepúlveda
State Senator Repeatedly Failed Clients in Court, Leading to Evictions and Lost Cases

One expert called Senator Luis Sepúlveda’s record of missed deadlines, incorrect paperwork, and no-shows “professional negligence.”

Sam Mellins   ·   April 9, 2026
Harlem Assemblymember Gets a Super PAC to Fend Off DSA

Longtime Cuomo aide Charlie King has been involved in efforts to boost Assemblymember Jordan J.G. Wright.

Nick Garber   ·   April 3, 2026
Photo Steven Fulop
Business Group Fighting Tax Hikes Shields Information About Funders

Using an exemption to a 2012 law, the Partnership for New York City has revealed the names of donors to its political arm, but not the amount each gave.

Chris Bragg   ·   April 1, 2026
As New Yorkers Face Health Insurance Cliff, Legislators Urge State to Act

Nearly half a million New Yorkers on the Essential Plan could lose their coverage this summer.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   March 31, 2026
Child Care Voucher Enrollment Is Closed in 34 New York Counties and NYC

That number is up from 21 last July. New York City’s waitlist alone has surged to over 17,000 — a tenfold increase in less than a year.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 31, 2026
Hochul’s Embrace of Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Will Cost NYC Millions

The city could lose $239 million from the policy, which is supported by business groups while unions remain on the sidelines.

Nick Garber   ·   March 30, 2026
Mamdani Stays Mum on Albany Climate Fight

Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.”

Nick Garber and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 26, 2026
A lock icon stands in between personal health data and a dollar sign representing profit.
Lawmakers Take Another Crack at Protecting New Yorkers’ Health Data

Amid abortion bans and rising digital surveillance, Albany lawmakers are revisiting an effort to stop companies from selling sensitive health information.

Leah Clark and Gabriella Limón   ·   March 26, 2026
Class Size Plan at Center of Mamdani’s Bid to Extend Mayoral Control

The administration will soon send legislators a plan to meet a mandate capping class sizes, said NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 25, 2026
New York’s Safety Net Workers Push for a Bigger Bump in Contracts

The governor, Senate, and Assembly all have different ideas for how to implement this year’s increases for human services contracts.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   March 25, 2026
A Pension Battle Is Heating Up in Albany. Here’s What to Know.

Unions want state leaders to sweeten their retirement packages. What would it cost, and what would it achieve?

Sam Mellins   ·   March 23, 2026
Hochul Unveils Eleventh-Hour Push to Defang New York’s Climate Law

Under the governor’s proposal, the most concrete deadline for climate action would be pushed out to the end of her potential second term.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 20, 2026
Putting a Price Tag on ‘Universal’ Pre-K

The state’s universal pre-K funding model is notoriously complex. How does it actually work, and can the governor’s plan fix it?

Melissa Manno   ·   March 20, 2026
New York Gave These Broadway Shows Millions — And They Flopped Anyway

Sold as a pandemic-era emergency program, the state’s theater tax credit has quietly sent hundreds of millions to short-run flops and blockbuster hits.

Nick Garber   ·   March 19, 2026
New York Sues Solar Company, Says It Cheated Thousands

Attorney General Letitia James alleges Attyx “built its business by defrauding consumers.”

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 19, 2026
Bill Seeks to Prevent Prisons From Turning Away Visitors After Scanners Pick Up Their Tampons

The bill follows reporting from New York Focus and other news outlets on prison staff mistaking menstrual and contraceptive products for hidden contraband.

Chris Gelardi and Raina Lipsitz   ·   March 19, 2026
ICE Is Trying to Send Hundreds of New York’s African Asylum Seekers to a Country They’re Not From

Over the last three months, ICE attorneys in New York state have petitioned to send half of the African asylum seekers who had immigration hearings to Uganda.

Liv Veazey   ·   March 18, 2026
Screenshots of documents the prison system sent in response to New York Focus's public records requests.
New York Focus Is Suing the State Prison Agency

Prison officials have refused to release crucial records on how the agency handles allegations of sexual abuse.

Nick Pinto   ·   March 17, 2026
Lawmakers Join Battery Developers in Fight With ConEd Over NYC’s Grid

ConEd says New York’s battery boom could overload the grid. The industry and its allies are pushing back.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 13, 2026
Your Guide to the 2026 State Budget Fight

We read the governor’s, Senate’s, and Assembly’s budget proposals — so you don’t have to.

New York Focus   ·   March 12, 2026
Legislators Push for Stronger Safety Net but Stop Short of Restoring Benefits

Senate and Assembly budget proposals would leave New Yorkers at risk of losing their benefits from federal cuts.

Jie Jenny Zou and Chris Bragg   ·   March 11, 2026
State Legislature Proposes Major Boost to Immigrant Legal Services

The governor and legislature are negotiating over immigration legislation outside of the budget process.

Liv Veazey   ·   March 11, 2026
Albany Unites on Universal Child Care, Splits Over Education Funding

The Senate and Assembly budget proposals included most of the governor’s ambitious child care plans — but lawmakers have other ideas for Foundation Aid.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 11, 2026
How a Fee To Fight Insurance Fraud Became a Cash Cow for Police

Critics say the $10 annual fees state drivers pay to fight car insurance theft and fraud aren’t being used as intended.

Chris Bragg   ·   March 11, 2026
A Quieter Budget Battle on Criminal Justice and Prison Reform

Amid a crisis in the state’s prison system, the governor’s and legislature’s budget proposals differ, but largely lack major reforms.

Chris Gelardi   ·   March 10, 2026
Lawmakers Want to Stay the Course on Climate

The Senate and Assembly are resisting Hochul’s push to relax New York’s emissions targets and are instead pressing for renewed clean energy funding.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 10, 2026
State Senate Joins Hochul in Trying to Speed Up New Housing

It remains to be seen whether the Assembly will get on board.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 10, 2026
What’s Behind the Escalating Fight Over New York’s Climate Law?

The legislature left the climate law untouched for now, but Governor Kathy Hochul could still push for changes in coming weeks.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 10, 2026
State Legislature Backs Tax Hikes on Wealthy, Adding Fuel to Mamdani’s Push

The Senate and Assembly’s budget proposals include many of the mayor’s desired revenue-raisers and give the city a larger cut of state funds.

Nick Garber   ·   March 10, 2026
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