New York

Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature. Governor Hochul acted on all but two of the 856 bills the Legislature passed in 2025 and vetoed 140. In May 2026, the Legislature passed a package limiting ICE cooperation statewide.

But New York is fighting a federal government that indicted its attorney general and clawed back FEMA payments for migrant housing. The battles here are about whether a blue state can protect its own people when Washington turns against them.

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The Federal Prosecution of Letitia James

Attorney General Letitia James won a civil fraud case against Donald Trump. In August 2025, an appeals court upheld the fraud findings but threw out the roughly $500 million penalty. In 2025, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation of James.

AG Pam Bondi appointed Ed Martin as a “special attorney” to investigate James. A federal grand jury probe launched in August 2025. On October 9, 2025, James was indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution. The charges had nothing to do with the Trump case.

The indictment was dismissed when a judge ruled the prosecutor had not been lawfully appointed, and two more grand juries declined to re-indict.

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New York’s Limits on ICE Cooperation

In May 2026, the Legislature approved a package of immigration protection measures negotiated with Governor Hochul. The bills ban local jails from holding people on behalf of ICE and prohibit 287(g) agreements between local governments and federal immigration enforcement. Sensitive locations are protected from ICE operations without judicial warrants.

Meanwhile, the cost of the migrant crisis keeps climbing. New York City has spent $9.3 billion on asylum seeker services since FY 2023. The state has committed $4.3 billion through FY 2027. In February 2025, the federal government reversed $80.5 million in FEMA shelter payments to the city and put its other awards under review. The city sued to restore the money.

The state’s FY 2027 budget includes no new appropriations for asylum seekers, relying on previously allocated funds. Spending is projected to drop to $500 million annually by FY 2028, but that assumes federal cooperation that does not exist right now.

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Proposed Changes to New York’s Climate Law

New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act set two targets for 2030. Cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% from 1990 levels. Generate 70% of electricity from renewables. As of January 2025, emissions had dropped 9%. Not 9% of the way to 40%. Nine percentage points total.

9% emissions reduction achieved toward a 40% target, with four years left

On March 20, 2026, Governor Hochul proposed rolling the law back. Her plan gives the state a seven-year extension, to the end of 2030, on the regulations it was required to issue by 2024, and ties those rules to a new 2040 target. The cap-and-invest program that was supposed to fund the transition has been repeatedly delayed.

Hochul blamed the Trump administration. Environmental advocates blamed Hochul. Protesters were arrested at the Capitol.

The state authorized $1 billion in annual energy efficiency and building electrification investments for 2026-2030, but that spending cannot close the gap if the targets themselves keep moving.

The question for New Yorkers is whether their own governor will enforce a law she inherited or let it die by delay. The federal government is not going to help. The state Legislature is pushing back. The outcome depends on whether voters and advocates keep pressure on Albany.

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Half of New York City Cannot Afford Rent

The city has roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments with a median rent around $1,500, well below market rate. Those units are the only thing standing between millions of New Yorkers and displacement.

The Rent Guidelines Board approved 3% increases on one-year leases and 4.5% on two-year leases starting October 2025. For a tenant paying $1,500 a month, that is $540 more a year on a one-year lease.

Landlords are pursuing demolition to bypass rent regulations. Eviction pressures are rising as city fiscal debates intensify over migrant spending. The Legislature introduced S8444, which would prohibit discrimination based on housing status, but it has not yet passed.

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New York’s 2026 Elections

Governor Hochul faces Republican Bruce Blakeman, whom Trump endorsed, on November 3.

All 26 of New York’s U.S. House seats are on the November ballot. Laura Gillen won her Long Island seat by 2.3 points in 2024, and Mike Lawler holds a Hudson Valley district that Kamala Harris carried.

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What You Can Do in New York

1. Check your voter registration. The registration deadline for the November 3 election is October 24. Verify your status at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

2. Know your rights if ICE comes to your door. The new state laws ban ICE from sensitive locations without a judicial warrant. You do not have to open the door. You do not have to answer questions. The New York Immigration Coalition has a know-your-rights guide.

3. Contact your state legislators about the climate law. The CLCPA rollback is not final. The Legislature can push back. Call your state senator and assemblymember and ask them to hold the original 2030 targets. Find your representatives at nysenate.gov.

4. Document rent increases. If you are in a rent-stabilized apartment, photograph all lease renewal offers and compare them against the Rent Guidelines Board schedule. Report violations to the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal at hcr.ny.gov.

5. Show up for your congressional district. Every New York House seat is on the November ballot. Attend town halls. Ask your representative where they stand on ICE cooperation, climate funding, and housing.