Latest news with #JuliaSalazar
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
New York state Democrats inspect conditions for ICE detainees at Nassau County Jail
Some New York state Democrats visited the Nassau County Jail in East Meadow to inspect conditions Wednesday. The federal government is leasing space inside the jail for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees and reimbursing the county $195 per day per detainee. Under the partnership, detainees can't be jailed for longer than 72 hours. Nassau County says over 1,400 people have been held so far this year under a collaboration with ICE, and the county has set aside 50 jail cells for the agency to use. Bryan Perez, a Hofstra grad and paralegal, represents immigrants, like his own family, at CARECEN, the Central American Refugee Center. "People are being detained, they're being taken to the Nassau County Jail, and then afterwards, it's been very difficult to trace where they have gone to," he said. After saying they were initially denied jail access, lawmakers Michaelle Solages and Julia Salazar toured the ICE cells in East Meadow. "It's to ensure that there's transparency and accountability because this is a Nassau County facility," Solages said. "Individuals are in their cells. They were being provided with food." Conditions were good, they said, except there were no showers and detainees had no outdoor activity. The jail says that's because of the detainees' brief stays. Wednesday, 14 people were being held by ICE at Nassau County Jail. The lawmakers claimed they were only detained because they were not born in this country. "It's heartbreaking to see that Nassau County is being complicit in this," Solages said. "Even myself personally, I don't feel safe either. I'm an American citizen, but we've seen so far, too, that even American citizens have been detained, have been stopped," Perez said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says they are cooperating with ICE because it makes Nassau safer. "In the majority of instances, there has been criminal activity, and that's why they are there," he said. "I can't say all because ICE does not share that information with us." Blakeman also believes, however, there should be a path forward for those who have been working here for years. "There should be a formula based on common sense and compassion," he said. Blakeman says after it was brought to his attention, showers will now be provided, but outdoor activity will not be because ICE detainees are not allowed to mingle with the general population.
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Mamdani Has a Thin Legislative Record but Is a Forceful Voice in Albany
During his whirlwind rise in the New York City mayoral race, Assemblyman Zohran K. Mamdani has put forth a wish list of big, expensive ideas. Rents for stabilized apartments will be frozen. Buses will be free. Taxes on the wealthy will rise and the cost of child care will fall — to zero. These proposals have energized his base, but their ambition will almost certainly exceed the ability of any mayor to see them through. The gap between what Mr. Mamdani wants to achieve and what is politically doable also characterizes his tenure as a state lawmaker. Of the 20-odd bills Mr. Mamdani has introduced during more than four years in Albany, just three relatively minor items have become law. He boasts of his signature free-bus initiative, but the pilot program was not renewed. And a much-ballyhooed proposal to clamp down on nonprofits supporting Israeli settlements was effectively dismissed by Assembly leadership in a rather public fashion. But more than two dozen lawmakers and staff members, including leaders in the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly, said in interviews that measuring Mr. Mamdani's impact in Albany requires looking beyond the number of bills that he introduced or that became law. They said Mr. Mamdani, 33, has made a conscious decision to use his voice to move the ideological center of the Assembly to the left. 'He is an exceptional communicator,' said Senator Julia Salazar, a friend and fellow Democratic Socialists of America member, who has endorsed him as part of a ranked-choice slate. 'I think his time in the Assembly has been characterized more by that than changing the law.' Apart from a bill that would require utilities to tell customers of proposed rate hikes, few of Mr. Mamdani's initiatives have shown signs of movement. Small-bore proposals, like a pitch to make clear to voters that they need to be registered with a party to vote in a primary, have failed to gain traction. The relative scantness of his record caused some colleagues to question his commitment to the unglamorous work of crafting legislation. 'I wish he was a harder worker,' said Senator Jessica Ramos, a Democrat who is also running for mayor. 'I believe that anybody who should be the mayor of the City of New York should have a legislative record to match.' But colleagues also acknowledged that he had engaged deeply with the legislation of others, helping to push parts of the Good Cause Eviction platform, the Build Public Renewables Act and an expansion of child care across the finish line, in large part by harnessing and focusing public attention. 'He's been seen as someone who can mobilize public opinion out of a certain demographic,' said the Senate deputy majority leader, Michael Gianaris, who has worked with Mr. Mamdani on a handful of local issues in their Queens districts. 'The mayor's race has not only proven that to be true, but probably increased his capacity to do that as well.' Mr. Mamdani's roots in progressivism and deft use of social media have prompted comparisons with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow New Yorker whose endorsement could prove pivotal for Mr. Mamdani as the June 24 primary election nears. She also faced criticism early in her career over a seeming preference to criticize, rather than work within, the Democratic systems of power. Mr. Mamdani disputed the notion that he is more interested in messaging than in legislating. 'My belief in politics is a belief in making the principled possible,' he said. 'And that requires working with anyone and everyone who shows interest.' When asked about his proudest moments in Albany, he pointed to a raft of improvements to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that were included in the 2023 budget, including his free bus pilot. 'That was an achievement that I was only able to win due to building a coalition across ideology,' said Mr. Mamdani, noting the pivotal support of Mayor Eric Adams, even as he described the mayor as being directly 'in opposition to politics that I and many New Yorkers hold.' The free bus program made five lines — one in each borough — free for one year. The pilot was celebrated for boosting ridership, but the M.T.A. cautioned that it also caused confusion and may have led to increased fare evasion on other lines. Mr. Mamdani and his allies returned to the Capitol with a plan to expand the program in 2024 to a handful of buses in each borough. Five people familiar with the negotiations said that he was close to securing the expansion when an unrelated disagreement over housing reform undermined his efforts. The people familiar with the talks said that Mr. Mamdani opposed a landlord-friendly measure added late to the state budget, and that he told the Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, that he would vote against the budget because of the measure. Mr. Heastie was incensed, the people said, and killed the bus pilot. Both Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Heastie deny that any retaliation occurred and say the program fell apart for reasons of its own. The episode was previously reported by Politico and New York magazine. It was not the first time Mr. Mamdani refused to support the budget. The year before, he also voted no to protest changes to the state's bail law. And in 2021, he voted yes, but only after asserting that he had been coerced into doing so. In an Assembly floor speech that year, he said he wished for a government 'that does not force us to take back too little to our constituents.' 'And if that change requires us to change the composition of this body, then so be it,' he added, in a threat to incumbents that echoed a similar move by Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. The protest vote can be a useful tool, most lawmakers agree, but its overuse is considered unsportsmanlike. 'It's hard to say, 'I want stuff in the budget,' and then not vote for the budget. I mean, you can't have it both ways,' said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who chairs the powerful Codes Committee. 'You're telling people: rent freeze, free child care, free buses, free this, free that,' Mr. Dinowitz said, 'but, you know, nothing is really free. Somebody else is paying for it.' Mr. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, said in an interview that he had a good relationship with Mr. Mamdani, whom he described as honest and passionate. 'I get no surprises out of Zohran, and I respect that out of him,' he said. Another of Mr. Mamdani's stalled legislative proposals grew out of his support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel. He introduced a bill that would end tax-exempt status for New York charities with ties to Israeli settlements that violate international human rights law. Shortly after it was introduced in spring 2023, Assembly leadership took the unusual step of weighing in on the legislation, calling it a 'non-starter.' Mr. Mamdani persisted in pushing for the measure. That effort, combined with his lack of an immediate expression of sympathy for Israel after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, deeply angered some members. More recently, Mr. Mamdani again was placed on the defensive after he did not co-sponsor a resolution to acknowledge the Holocaust. Assemblywoman Amanda Septimo, a Democrat and friend of Mr. Mamdani's, said that she did not believe him to be antisemitic. But she nonetheless opposed his bill and said some of his rhetoric 'unintentionally opens the door for people who may be antisemitic to hide under the guise, we'll call it, of other concerns.' Mr. Mamdani stands firm in his defense of Palestinians in Gaza, where over 53,000 people have been killed by Israeli forces, saying, 'At the core of this campaign is a politics of consistency and the belief that all people deserve dignity and equality and freedom without exception.' In recent interviews, he has proclaimed Israel's right to exist, and last week he was quick to denounce the killing of two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington as part of 'an appalling trend of antisemitic violence.' His fellow legislators say that Mr. Mamdani is still on a learning curve in Albany but is progressing. They say he seems more attuned than before to what it takes to accomplish policy changes, and more judicious when criticizing colleagues. Mr. Heastie also said that he believed Mr. Mamdani had 'legislatively matured,' even joking that he liked 'Zohran 2.0.' Perhaps the most telling evidence of Mr. Mamdani's evolution came earlier this month, when the budget bills came up for a vote. As in years past, they contained scores of policy changes, not all to Mr. Mamdani's liking. Mr. Mamdani voted yes.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New York bills aim to reform parole and sentencing
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Two proposed bills advancing through the New York State Legislature sparked debate over public safety and fairness in the criminal justice system on Tuesday. The bills could reshape how the state handles parole and good behavior, letting some sentences be reduced by as much as half. S159/A127 would change how parole works for people incarcerated at state prisons, granting supervised release by default unless the Parole Board can prove that they clearly still pose a danger to the public. More Local News S342/A1085, the Earned Time Act, is more complex. It would let inmates earn time off their sentence. Credits could total up to one-half of their sentence, whereas current credits for good behavior get capped at lower levels. Earned time credits would accumulate each year based on behavior like participation in education, work, or treatment programs. And those credits would not be removable once earned. Critics warned that passing the bills would put dangerous criminals on the street, which they called particularly galling because it's National Crime Victims' Rights Week. The ranking member on the State Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction, Republican State Senator Rob Rolison, blasted what he called the 'bad bills' on Wednesday. He said Earned Time will reward incarcerated people with credit that can't be taken back whenever their good behavior ends. His counterpart on that committee—the chair, Sen. Julia Salazar—sponsored the parole reform in the Senate and cosponsored Earned Time. Here's Rolison on Tuesday connecting the conversation about reform back to the correction officers strike: More Local News And other critics have referenced other criminal justice reforms—like bail and discovery—as part of a larger pro-crime agenda favored by Albany Democrats to undermine public safety. Republican State Sen. Mark Walczyk said the legislation 'tells convicts that their rights and comfort outweigh the safety of law-abiding citizens.' Republican State Senator Jim Tedisco agreed that the legislature should focus on making prison facilities safer for correction officers. 'These bills are a deliberate slap in the face to all New Yorkers who care about law and order, and especially to the victims of violent crime,' he said. But the new measures are supposed to replace vague, discretionary decisions made by corrections staff. Noting that the measures use transparent, precise formulas, supporters say new standards create a more consistent, predictable process. They say the reforms will lower prison populations, correctional costs, and recidivism so incarcerated people can improve their lives once they've repaid their debt to society. In support of the bills, the Center for Community Alternatives argued that New York's current sentencing laws have led to mass incarceration and disproportionately affected Black and brown communities. 'At a time when New York's prison system is in crisis, the Earned Time Act offers a real solution to change prison culture, support successful reentry, and reunite families,' said Tomas Gant, a CCA community organizer. CCA pointed to a 2006 report from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision showing that earned time credits reduced recidivism. Still, Republicans and law enforcement insist the changes are dangerous. They claim Earned Time would let inmates reduce their sentences by up to 75%, regardless of how serious their crimes. 'Senator Cooney should be ashamed of himself for putting criminals ahead of his constituents,' said a representative from the Locust Club police group about Democratic State Senator Jeremy Cooney, who sponsored Earned Time. In a statement distributed in the Greater Rochester area, they urged residents to contact their legislators to complain. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
HALT Act sponsor defends bill as state Republicans try for second repeal attempt
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The HALT Solitary Confinement Act has become a controversial bill, playing a part in the correctional officer strike that lasted for three weeks in New York State. Snow tapers, milder weather on the way HALT Act sponsor defends bill as state Republicans try for second repeal attempt The Atlantic posts more texts from Signal chat group CNY homeschooled teen takes courses to save lives with Upstate trauma's team Preble's cemetery takes a huge hit and seeks the community's help After working as a correction officer for 27 years, Stephen Woodward retired once the HALT Act was signed. 'They could come out, punch an officer in the face, break their eye socket, get 15 days in a special housing unit or rehabilitation unit, come right out and do it over again,' Woodward said. State Senator Julia Salazar, the bill's sponsor, says otherwise. 'It is not accurate when people claim that there aren't consequences for serious offenses. People can be held in RRU for up to a year,' she said. 'They are still subject to discipline. They are still separated from the general population. They can still have privileges taken away from them.' Salazar says HALT prohibits people with disabilities and mental health issues from solitary confinement and requires out-of-cell time for those in segregated confinement. Over the last four years, she has visited prisons and correctional facilities across the state and says HALT isn't being enacted. 'People with serious mental health conditions are continuing to be placed in the special housing units, and we also saw instances of people being held for over 15 days at a time, without being moved to a rehabilitative unit,' Salazar said. State Senator Daniel Stec has seven prisons in his district. For the second time, he's introducing a bill to repeal HALT. 'We're going to give them another opportunity to get it right. To realize that people who debated against this bill a few years ago and said it was a bad idea and make us less safe,' he said. 'Now, we have data that proves we are right. There's an opportunity to do the right thing.' Despite Salazar's claims, Stec says the HALT Act has rewarded inmates for bad behavior. 'I want to know what Julia Salazar and some of my colleagues would say to the spouse of someone that had their face caved in by a sock with something heavy in it. That happens, and they'll never see again,' he said. 'What is the deterrent inside prisons where if someone does something like that, the worst they'll get is a timeout for 15 days, where they'll have Wi-Fi and tablets.' According to DOCCS, assaults on corrections staff have gone up each year under the HALT Act. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
