NYC Mayor Mamdani and AOC urge parents regardless of immigration status to get free pre-K

WASHINGTON (TNND) — New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) released a video in Spanish where they encouraged illegal immigrants to sign up for the city’s free childcare program.

“My Spanish is not very good,”Mamdani spoke in Spanish. “But the fight for universal childcare? That is very good. So I brought a friend to help me share why signing up for free 3-K and Pre-K this week matters.”

Ocasio-Cortez then appears in the video and explains in Spanish that New Yorkers have until February 27 to enroll their children in the city’s free childcare program.

“If your child is turning three or age four in 2026, you can enroll them in free 3-K or Pre-K in New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“Any New York City parent, regardless of your occupation, income or immigration status is eligible to sign their child up.” Ocasio-Cortez continued before explaining that the application is available in more than 200 languages.

“Because no family should be shut out from our programs just because of the language they speak,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“We can make our city more affordable for everybody.”

Mamdani ran his mayoral campaign on the promises of expanding the city’s free childcare program. And, in January, Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mamdani partnered up to expand its free childcare program for two-year-olds in the city. The partnership is part of a larger effort by Hochul to increase investments to ensure affordable childcare across the state for an additional 100,000 children.

Both Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez have been major advocates for the city’s sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants, having pushed back against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts.

While Trump continues to speak highly of Mamdani; Mamdani continues his calls to abolish ICE, having previously called it a “rogue agency.”

The video’s release comes the same day as the State of the Union address, in which Democratic members refused to stand at Trump’s request to show their top priority was protecting U.S. citizens, and not illegal immigrants. Ocasio-Cortez boycotted the State of the Union address.