Candidates spar in first mayoral debate
Thursday marked the first debate for the upcoming mayoral election between Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. The questions centered around the Trump administration’s threats to defund New York City, candidates’ stances on Israel and plans to make the city more affordable.
Mamdani, the race’s Democratic nominee, said he is “willing” to work with President Donald Trump if it meant lowering the cost of living for New Yorkers, but warned that he will not stand for Trump’s attacks on the city. Independent candidate Cuomo also said he will work with the president, but would “fight” him if he “hurt New Yorkers,” while Republican nominee Sliwa said he would “sit and negotiate” with him to secure federal funds. All three candidates staunchly opposed Trump’s threats to send the national guard troops to the city.
On the topic of Israel’s war in Gaza, Cuomo said Mamdani refused to “denounce Hamas” and spoke in “code” to signal that Israel “does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state,” questioning his ability to make Jewish New Yorkers feel safe. Mamdani refuted the allegation, condemning Hamas while saying he opposes any state hierarchy based on religion, race or ethnicity. He vowed to combat antisemitism as prospective mayor.
“What I’m looking to do as the first Muslim mayor of this city is to ensure we bring every New Yorker together — Jewish New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, every single person who calls this city home,” Mamdani said.
Across several heated interactions, Cuomo and Sliwa called Mamdani’s plans too costly to implement, which Mamdani responded to with plans to raise taxes for wealthy residents and corporations. Cuomo also accused Mamdani of having no real job experience — to which he retorted that the former governors’ experience caused thousands of deaths during the pandemic. Sliwa also attacked Cuomo throughout the debate, citing that he used $28 million from the city to settle his sexual assault allegation cases.
Mamdani is still leading the polls ahead of the Nov. 4 election, and the second mayoral debate is scheduled for Wednesday.
Federal agents arrest migrants near a shelter
A dozen federal agents, disguised in plain clothing, arrested two Venezuelan men trying to pick up their children outside a Times Square hotel on Thursday.
Cristofer Hernandez and Ali Eloy Uribe-Gil were waiting for a school bus around the corner from Row NYC — which houses thousands of migrants and over 800 families — to pick up their kids. Other migrant families waiting for school buses fled when they saw U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Hernandez was previously arrested for criminal possession of drugs and petit larceny. His partner, Maria Diaz, who learned about his arrest through a phone call, said that he has only been in the United States for two years and was arrested during the summer for public disorder, but released shortly after.
According to the DHS, the two men are a part of a Venezuelan gang called the Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration designated a foreign terrorist organization. Trump has called migrant shelters hotbeds of gang activity, a sentiment backed by Mayor Eric Adams, who shut down over 60 migrant shelters in recent months.
ICE cannot raid migrant shelters unless they have a warrant to enter. However, they have targeted sanctuary cities with large immigrant populations like New York City. In August, the city announced that it would stop Row NYC from operating as a shelter after its lease expires in April 2026. As a result, the shelter sent evacuation notices to the migrant families, requesting they leave in the coming months before the shelter shuts down, leaving only four migrant shelters exclusively protected by warrants.
The New York City Police Department was not involved in the arrest and City Hall is reviewing the incident.
Trump administration halts another transit project
The Federal Highway Administration sent a letter on Friday demanding that city government pauses plans for a major Manhattan roadway project meant to shorten bus times. The letter came after Trump threatened to withhold federal funding for the project, saying it poses concerns for truck drivers and emergency vehicles. .
The new bus lane, which was proposed in May, aimed to speed up multiple bus routes along 34th Street by over 15%. The routes were set to span over a mile between Third and Ninth Avenues and speed up routes for 28,000 riders. Similar road redesigns previously increased bus speed by 24%, indicating the potential efficiacy of the project.
“We are confident that the design complies with all applicable federal laws and regulations, and we will work with the federal government to advance this critical project,” said Vincent Barone, spokesperson for the New York City Department of Transportation.
The development adds to Trump’s pattern of withholding funding from the city’s transportation projects. Earlier this month, Trump pulled $16 billion from the Gateway Project, an initiative to build a new Hudson River tunnel, to pressure prominent Democrats. Governor Kathy Hochul is currently reviewing the letter and has “been in touch with city officials” to come to an agreement.
New York City has some of the slowest buses in the United States, with the average speed being eight miles per hour, causing frustration among commuters. Mayoral race frontrunner Mamdani has made transportation a central part of his campaign, hoping to increase efficiency in the bus system.
Contact Natalie Deoragh at [email protected].