NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: NYC Takes Action to Support Student Arrested by ICE, Pregnant New Yorkers Lean on Doulas, Albany’s Interim U.S. Attorney Wants Job Permanently, Mobile Clinic Helps Homeless Across the City, and Gen Zers Compete for NYC Art Schools

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

The Adams Administration is calling for the release of an 11th grader who was detained by federal immigration authorities last month. Also, a new report from the city health department finds that doulas were involved in more than 6% of births last year, up from less than 5% in 2022. Plus, after being threatened with a knife, Albany’s interim U.S. Attorney wants the permanent job. Meanwhile, a New York City nonprofit is offering psychiatric services to the most vulnerable New Yorkers by pulling up to where they are. And finally, New York City art schools are seeing an application boom.

New York City takes action to support a local student arrested by ICE. Pregnant New Yorkers lean on doulas more than ever. Albany's interim U.S. attorney wants the job permanently. A mobile clinic helps homeless people with mental health services, and Jen Ziers compete for art schools across the city. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jenae Pier. The Adams administration is calling for the release of an 11th grader

who was detained by federal immigration authorities last month. Dirlese Snyder attended Grover Cleveland High School in Queens. He's now at a detention facility in Texas. Federal officials detained the 19-year-old Ecuadorian outside a courtroom after he attended a mandatory immigration hearing. In a legal brief supporting Snyder, the Adams administration says federal officials are making the city less safe by weaponizing the judicial process.

Snyder is one of at least three local public school students detained by ICE in the past two months. Homeland Security officials previously defended the effort to deport the teen, saying ICE is following the law. A small but growing share of pregnant New Yorkers are leaning on doulas for information and emotional support. A new report from the City Health Department finds that doulas were involved in more than 6% of births last year. That's up from less than 5% in 2022. Dulas are not clinicians, but studies show they help reduce the likelihood of getting a C-section and provide some other benefits. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has expanded free access to doulas

as part of a larger effort to improve Black maternal health. Duelas do more than spend a time with a parent. They nurture them. They encourage them. They answer so many questions. But city data shows white New Yorkers are still far more likely to use doulas during pregnancy than other groups. An immigrant from El Salvador is in jail after pleading guilty

to threatening the top federal. prosecutor in Albany with a knife. The incident unfolds while the prosecutor is seeking a permanent appointment. WMYC's Jimmy Vilkine has more. U.S. Attorney John Sarkone says he's still shaken up by his June 17th encounter with Saul Morales-Garcia. It was late at night near an Albany hotel. Morales-Garcia started shouting in a foreign language and pulled a knife, seemingly at random. Emotionally distressing, distressing to me, distressing to my children. stressing to my wife and family. Police initially charged Morales Garcia with attempted murder. Sarkone went on Fox News a few days later and said he was attacked. But video footage of the

incident shows Morales Garcia never came within 10 feet of Sarkone. Albany County prosecutor Joseph Meaney explained the charges were downgraded. We've spoken with the complaining witness and reviewed the video referenced by defense counsel. And it's our position that based upon the results of that investigation that the facts and circumstance warrant proceeding as a misdemeanor. Morales Garcia pleaded guilty to a lower charge of menacing. He faces deportation after a 90-day jail sentence. The defendant's lawyer, Vincenzo Sophia, said it was a fair outcome. From day one, it was pretty clear that the charges against Mr. Morales-Garcia were blown out of proportion. The case is unfolding as Sarkone seeks permanent appointment to his job before his

term expires next week. He is able to serve on an interim basis for 120 days, but then requires approval from the federal judges in the 32 County Northern District. Sarkone hasn't previously been a prosecutor, but worked with President Trump's 2016 campaign and practiced law in Westchester County. He says a meeting with the judges went well. I fully expect to get a vote of confidence from them. Representatives of the judges didn't comment. That's WMYC's Jimmy Vilkind. A new mobile clinic is pulling up to home. New Yorkers who need mental health services. More on that after the break. A New York City nonprofit is offering psychiatric services to the most vulnerable New Yorkers by pulling up to where they are.

WMYC's Karen Yee explains. Parked across the street from a soup kitchen in Chelsea is a big, white, RV-like trailer run by the nonprofit Project Renewal. Inside, there are two examination rooms in a narrow waiting area. The mobile clinic offers primary care, but two years ago started offering psychiatric services to respond to a pressing need. According to the city controller, there are about 2,000 New Yorkers living with serious mental illness, cycling through the streets, subways, jails, and hospitals. Dr. Rachel Holbech is a psychiatrist on board. Typical clinics don't work for everyone, especially a population with lots of stuff going on

in their lives and unstable housing and don't have charged phones. Dr. Holbech says the mobile clinic offers an easier way for homeless New Yorkers struggling with mental health issues to get the help they need before they reach a level of crisis and risk getting sent to the hospital against their will. In 2022, Mayor Adams added more reasons for when somebody could be involuntarily committed, and now those rules have been codified into state law. It's a little bit like being at sea. Yeah, yeah. Dr. Miranda von Dordham is the chief medical officer for project renewal. She says they're trying to catch people who may not be able to get to brick and mortar clinics or who had a negative experience with the health care

system. For other patients, they just need somebody to actually talk to you. 66-year-old Bonda Sutton seized Dr. Holbrich every month for her session. Before I got here, I wasn't going to no psych or anything like that, you know. I had to decide what's the best for me because I needed health because a lot of trauma. Sutton lives in an apartment but used to sleep on the street after she lost. her job as a lighting specialist. I design your apartment, tell you what fixture is going to use. Every time you walk into a room, do you look up at the light?

Yes. And you know what, this is weird. I could design other person's place, but I can't do mine. It's weird. Why? Because I don't know. Patients like Sutton can get prescriptions or help managing their medications without the usual hurdles they encounter at typical mental health clinics,

like having to disclose their entire medical histories or committing to additional appointments. This is a low barrier way for them to come into treatment and then hopefully be able to follow up with us. Dr. Van Dornum says the measures of success can be small, but seeing a patient again, even just a few times a year, is a win. That's WMYC's Karen Yee. New York City art schools are seeing an application boom. Yes, even in this economy. Fine arts programs in schools like Pratt Institute, the School of Visual Arts, Hunter College, the Fashion Institute of Technology and LaGuardia Community College are all reporting record

high applications and wait lists, even though some of these art schools cost $65,000 or more. WMYC's Hannah Frischberg talked with some educators about the surprising trend and says it's similar to what's causing the increase in vocational schools. Hannah says young people are sick of screens and also want to work with their hands. Plus, she says there's the threat of AI. With AI, threatening many knowledge workers jobs, working with your hands, teaching arts, and doing other jobs that have a basis and art feel relatively secure.

Dahlia L. Syed, director of LaGuardia Community College's Fine Arts Program, thinks people may also be embracing what makes them feel good in a world where so much feels so bad. I don't think students buy the myth of capitalism. And so they are seeing a doom and gloom world, you know, presented to them. Why not go and create a,

life that is meaningful where you have community and a real sense of, you know, doing something constructive and creative and positive in the face of all this doom and gloom. The class of 2025 is the largest graduating class in U.S. history, which also plays into this trend of more people choosing art school. And Hannah says more students. Also means more competition. Sasha Chata is CEO of NYC-based college consultancy, Ivy Scholars. He believes many people are playing to their competitive advantage. I think the cohort of students who were maybes have drifted towards fine arts because they know they are not competitive for the increasingly much more competitive world of, say,

business, computer science, engineering, and to a slightly lesser extent, social sciences and humanities majors. He calls some of these fine arts majors a walled garden where these students have a strategic advantage. If their parents are willing to support them in these precarious industries, they can play to their strengths academically. That's WMYC's Hannah Frischberg. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC. I'm Jene Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.