New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday that the city won’t be checking the immigration status of children enrolling in his administration’s free childcare programs and federal agents will not be allowed access unless they can present a warrant “signed by a judge.”

“Just to put it very clearly, these are programs for every single New Yorker,” Mamdani said in a media roundtable discussion. “These are not programs that are going to ask the immigration status of any one of the children.”

“All of those children are New Yorkers,” he continued. “They should all be enrolled in 3-K and pre-K, no matter where they were born or where they come from. And we are also proud to be a sanctuary city.”

The mayor said “sanctuary” means that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be denied access to schools, hospitals, and city properties unless they have a judicial warrant.

“We know that the vast majority of the time, ICE agents are not presenting that kind of documentation,” he said. “If they’re presenting any kind of documentation, it tends to be an administrative warrant. And, a lot of times, there isn’t any kind of documentation provided.”

The mayor said earlier what is termed in New York as 3-K and pre-K programs are available to any New Yorkers who have children turning 3 or 4 anytime in 2026, Fox News reported.

The program was unveiled early this month by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), stating in a release, “The Governor will partner with Mayor Zohran Mamdani to deliver free child care for two-year-olds in New York City, in addition to strengthening the existing 3K program to achieve universal care and ultimately, serve all families across the city.”

The Mayor said the programs could save families tens of thousands of dollars a year “by providing them with free childcare.”

According to Fox, Mamdani added, “So, we want to make clear the rights of every New Yorker, that they have in this city. This program is being made available to all, and the fact that we are proud of our values, we are proud of our laws. They keep us safe, and they are also part and parcel of who we are.”

Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.