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Friday, July 31, 2026

A group of children walk past a federal building on Varick Street, July 22, 2025. (Ben Fractenberg/The City Reporter)

Dear New Yorkers,

Roughly 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children facing deportation nationwide — including 1,300 in New York — could lose access to federally funded legal services today as the Trump administration lets a multimillion-dollar contract lapse, barring any last-minute agreements.

Immigrant advocates warn the contract’s expiration will lead to more unaccompanied minors having no legal representation in their immigration cases, and ultimately more removals of vulnerable kids.

The $356 million-per-year contract is held by the nonprofit Acacia Center for Justice, which in turn subcontracts with dozens of legal providers across the country, nine of which are based in New York.

“They’re cutting off access to lawyers for these children, but they need lawyers now more than ever,” said Beth Baltimore of the Legal Services Center at The Door, one of those nine providers. “It was never a system that a child could navigate alone, but now it’s so much more complex and so much more difficult.”

Immigration court records analyzed by The City Reporter show a spike in deportation hearings for unaccompanied minors detained in New York this year, with 1,400 to date, already surpassing the total for 2025.

The funding cliff comes as unaccompanied migrant kids are staying longer in shelters overseen by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and the government is accelerating immigration proceedings. A spokesperson said “ORR remains fully compliant with legal and regulatory obligations and does not act in any way that could dissuade a child from seeking appropriate legal relief.”

Read more about how losing access to legal counsel would affect unaccompanied minors, based on recent hearings The City Reporter witnessed in one immigration courtroom.

Weather 🌤️

A high around 84 and mostly sunny during the daytime. A low around 69 and partly cloudy at night.

MTA 🚇

In the Bronx, Woodlawn-bound 4 trains skip Burnside Avenue. Find all the MTA’s planned changes and the latest delays here.

Alternate side parking 🚙

It’s in effect today, July 31.

By the way…

You can register for a chance to join a family camping night at a local park this summer, with the city’s Urban Park Rangers serving as hosts and guides.

Our Other Top Stories

“There’s no sense of urgency”: East Village affordable housing tenants say the city isn’t acting quickly enough to address potentially deadly Legionella bacteria in their buildings’ water system. Nearly 500 bird species can be found in the city during the year. If you’re looking to bird, don’t miss our beginner’s guide for appreciating these urban avians — part of our latest Summer & The City newsletter on local critters. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration quietly relaxed a curriculum mandate for early childhood education programs that was imposed by his predecessor Eric Adams, our friends at Chalkbeat report.

Sponsored by JPMorganChase Chase Community Manager Iliana Menesick Shares Tips for Strengthening Financial Health We all have financial needs and goals, whether it’s dreaming of buying a new home, starting a business, or simply feeling more secure about your finances. No matter where you are on your financial journey, it’s never too early – or too late – to get started. Iliana Menesick, Chase Community Manager in the Bronx, shares ways to help strengthen your financial health journey: Q: If someone wants to strengthen their financial health, what are the first three steps you’d suggest they take? A: Start by getting clear on your goals. What are you working toward, and why does it matter to you? Next, create a budget so you can see where your money is going and make a plan for saving. Then, review your budget regularly and make adjustments. Every month is different and life changes, but staying flexible and aware of your budget helps keep you on track towards your goals. Strengthening your financial health is a lifelong journey, and every step can help you feel more organized and confident as you work toward your goals. To learn more, stop by your local branch or visit chase.com/financialgoals. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.  © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Reporter’s Notebook

Housing on Public Land

New York City wants to develop housing on 100 parcels of city-owned land in hopes of creating 50,000 new homes, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday.

Some of the sites already have housing plans in the works, such as a 3,700-unit apartment building slated for 100 Gold St., a Financial District office building. That project began under Mayor Eric Adams. Other sites, including the New Utrecht Library in Bensonhurst, would pair housing and public services. That site could have up to 300 apartments.

The Mamdani administration released a map where you can see opportunities for housing on city-owned land around the boroughs and track how far along the projects are. The effort comes as the mayor seeks to build 200,000 affordable homes in a decade.

— Samantha Maldonado

Sales Tax Revenue Rises

In a sign of the strength of the economy, New York City’s sales tax collections in the first half of the year totaled nearly $5.8 billion, an increase of 7.8%, according to figures released Thursday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

While partly the result of higher prices stemming from the pickup in inflation with the Iran war, the surprisingly large gain also shows the strength of consumer spending by high-income individuals.

Roughly half the uptick in collections reflects the local inflation rate, which is about 4% — a percentage point higher than the rate for the nation as a whole.

New York City’s gain is about a third higher than the statewide increase of about 6% and points to an economy where higher-paid consumers are doing well, while cuts to safety net programs for lower-income New Yorkers are driving a surge in families needing help with food and cash assistance.

— Greg David

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Saturday, Aug. 1: Hear local reggae band The Brooklyners perform in Riverside Park. Free, 96th Street Tennis Courts, 7-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1: Enjoy a First Saturday event at the Brooklyn Museum celebrating Caribbean culture, including music, talks, art-making and poetry. Free, registration recommended, 5-10 p.m.

THE KICKER: A group of rays were recently spotted swimming in the Newtown Creek between Brooklyn and Queens. Look at them go!

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Friday.

Love,

The City Reporter

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