As the new year begins, New York City has already seen significant changes, from new governmental policies to the formation of new unions and a two-week nurses’ strike. The city remains a focal point for national and international attention, including the high-profile presence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and increased visibility of federal immigration enforcement. 

Mamdani’s Inauguration and New Policy Changes 

On Jan. 1, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City, making history as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor.

Mamdani took his oath on the Quran just after midnight at a private ceremony held at the old City Hall subway station. New York Attorney General Letitia James oversaw the oath. Only a small audience was in attendance, including Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji, who held the Quran.

The public ceremony took place later that day when Senator Bernie Sanders swore in Mamdami. Four thousand people attended the event, while thousands more watched from television screens placed around downtown Manhattan. 

Mamdani and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul released a plan to launch free childcare for two-year-old children in New York City.

Mamdani and Duwaji have moved into Gracie Mansion, the official home of the mayor of New York City, located on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. 

Following Mamdani’s inauguration, his administration immediately announced several significant policy changes, primarily focusing on housing, tenant protection and childcare.

Mamdani and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul released a plan to launch free childcare for two-year-old children in New York City. By the 2028-29 school year, the administration aims to deliver universal child care for all children under the age of five.  

On Jan. 16, the Mamdani administration announced a $2.1 million settlement in order to protect tenants. This settlement prompts A&E Real Estate properties to resolve widespread tenant harassment and hazardous conditions across 14 residential buildings in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. The agreement requires A&E to correct more than 4,000 building violations and prohibits further tenant harassment. 

On Jan. 1, Mamdani issued an executive order revitalizing the mayor’s office’s protection of tenants. The order reads that the mayor’s office will work to protect the rights of renters and to improve affordability and quality of housing for tenants in New York City. 

Nurses from major hospitals across New York City, including Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian, walked out of their jobs after contractual discussions stalled.

Before Mamdani took office, the previous administration implemented a series of policies that would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. One of those policies includes raising the minimum wage. 

Working minimum wage has now been increased from $16.50 an hour to $17 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. The transit fare has also increased by 10 cents, rising from $2.90 to $3. 

It has been a year since congestion pricing was implemented and studies have shown a corresponding decrease in gridlock. According to The New York Times (NYT), “about 11% of the vehicles that once entered Manhattan’s central business district daily have disappeared.” The NYT also found four benefits to congestion pricing: fewer vehicles, faster traffic and more transit riders, all of which result in a better quality of life. The feedback from the study shows that congestion pricing has proved successful.

New York City Nurses Go on Strike

On Jan. 12, nearly 15,000 nurses registered with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) went on strike. Nurses from major hospitals across New York City, including Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian, walked out of their jobs after contractual discussions stalled. 

According to the NYSNA website, nurses began striking in response to hospitals refusing “to ensure safety for nurses and patients.” The website elaborated on this point, stating that the union is demanding hospitals “improve safe staffing, fully fund health benefits for nurses, and protect nurses from workplace violence.”

The NYSNA held a press conference when the strike commenced, during which Mamdani spoke in solidarity with the nurses. 

“In every one of our city’s darkest periods, nurses showed up to work. Their value is not negotiable and their worth is not up for debate,” Mamdani said. 

Hundreds of staff members at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) have voted to unionize.

The NYSNA said that Mount Sinai had fired three labor and delivery nurses “on a pretextual basis driven by anti-union animus” the day before the strikes began. In what the NYSNA alleged to be broader union-busting behavior by Mount Sinai’s management in the past, the hospital had unlawfully reprimanded 14 nurses who had spoken up against workplace violence or discussed unions and contract negotiations with their coworkers.

As of Jan. 18, the nurses’ strike entered its second week. It has made history as the largest nurses’ strike ever in New York City.

The Met Employees Vote to Unionize 

Hundreds of staff members at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) have voted to unionize. Labor organizers and The Met made the official announcement on Jan. 16, marking one of the largest union victories in the museum industry. Employees voted 542 to 172 in favor of joining Local 2110 of the United Automobile Workers.  

Back in November 2025, The Met’s employees signed a petition to create a union, representing 1,000 staff members. 

The exact terms of the deal have not yet been decided. The Local 2110 represents several other museums and art institutions. The Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and The Jewish Museum are a few notable members.

Venezuelan President is being held at New York City Jail 

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York indicted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3. Maduro was arrested by U.S. forces and extradited from Venezuela to the U.S. to face charges in absentia for narcoterrorism. 

Mauduro is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn (MDC Brooklyn) while awaiting trial. The facility is known for being a waiting place for detainees before a trial or sentencing. 

We are demanding that ICE leave the city and state immediately. Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis

Mauduro joined other notable detainees at MDC Brooklyn such as Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024. Mangione has been under constant surveillance at MDC Brooklyn pending his trial.

Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was also extradited to New York City and is being held at MDC Brooklyn. Both Maduro and Flores’s next court date will be March 17. They both pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking and narcoterrorism charges.

ICE’s Presence in New York City and Recent Actions Spark Protests

Renee Good, a 37-year-old American citizen, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7. Since then, protests have taken over the city as civilians clash with federal agents and law enforcement.

The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, has actively called for ICE to leave the city, releasing a statement that said, “We are demanding that ICE leave the city and state immediately.” 

New York State Representative Jerrold Nadler announced that he is not seeking reelection when his term ends in November. Nadler, who has served in the U.S. Congress for over 32 years, said that one of his reasons for stepping down is his desire for generational change within the Democratic Party. 

The momentum from Minneapolis has carried over to New York City. On Jan. 19, anti-ICE protesters crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day demonstration. More than 100 people walked the bridge into Manhattan to commemorate King’s lasting legacy and call out ICE’s presence in Minneapolis and across the country.

Candidates Begin Running for New York’s 12th Congressional District 

New York State Representative Jerrold Nadler announced that he is not seeking reelection when his term ends in November. Nadler, who has served in the U.S. Congress for over 32 years, said that one of his reasons for stepping down is his desire for generational change within the Democratic Party. 

There are 10 people in the running for Nadler’s position. Among them is Jack Schlossberg, John F. Kennedy’s grandson, who has never held or run for a position in office before. Schlossberg decided to run in response to the constitutional and affordability crises brought on by President Donald Trump’s policies. 

Another candidate and critic of Trump, George Conway, is a lawyer and former Republican who became a Democrat due to his view that Trump is a threat to American democracy. He is running as a Democrat to help preserve the Affordable Care Act and push for legislation legalizing abortion access nationwide. 

Cameron Kasky, 25-year-old activist and survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, was also running for Nadler’s congressional seat. He cofounded the gun violence prevention organization Never Again MSD. As of Jan. 14, Kasky decided to withdraw from the race to focus on human rights in Gaza’s West Bank. 

New York’s 12th congressional district elections will take place on Nov. 3, 2026.