NYC NOW - Midday News: NYC Launches Probe After NYPD Car Runs Over Man in Queens, Reaction to Mamdani's Latest Video, and the New School Year Brings Fear for Some Immigrant Families

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

New York City officials are investigating after they say an NYPD squad car ran over a man lying on a road in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Plus, a look at the reaction to a viral video showing Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani lifting weights at an Open Streets in Brooklyn over the weekend. And finally, for some immigrant families, the start of the school year brings fear and uncertainty—about immigration enforcement, their children’s safety, and what rights they actually have.

Welcome to NYC now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Monday, August 25th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. New York City officials are investigating a man's death after they say an NYPD officer in a squad car ran over the man lying on a road in flushing Meadows Corona Park. Department officials say it happened around 4.30 Saturday afternoon. Police say the officer was doing a routine patrol of the Queens Parlor. when the officer's car hit the man who was lying face up on the pavement there. Police say the officer was going about 10 miles an hour.

Officials say the officer did stay at the scene. A hospital doctor declared the main dead but did not determine his cause of death. Police have not identified the man just yet as they were to notify his family. A viral video shows Democratic mayoral nominee, Zeran Mamdani, lifting weights at an open streets in Brooklyn over the weekend. NYC's Ramsey-Khalifa reports on the less-than-uplifting response from other candidates. The weekend video was too good for Assembly member Mamdani's rivals to let slide. It shows a suited Mamdani bench-pressing a bar with two 45-pound plates, only taking two reps.

Mayor Eric Adams answered with a video in which he performs more reps and calls the Democratic nominee Mom Skrani. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo has also chimed in, saying Mamdani can't carry the weight of this city as mayor. It's Mamdani, however, who enjoys a wide lead over both at the polls. All the candidates have until November 4th to muscle up voters to the ballot box. Sunny today and a high temperature in mid-80s tomorrow, sunny and 80th and Wednesday, mostly sunny and mid-70s. New York City Public Schools begin a new school year next Thursday, September 4th, and immigrant families are preparing their kids for the classroom, but for many parents without legal immigration status, the start Part of the school year also brings fear and uncertainty about immigration enforcement, their children's safety, and what rights they actually have.

WNYC's Arias Sunder Room has been looking into what undocumented students and their families should know and know right now. Ari, let's start with the basics. What protections do students and parents have inside New York City schools when it comes to immigration enforcement? Sure, and before we dig in, I'd be remiss not to say that there's been a lot of concern over. this because earlier this year, the Trump administration said it would no longer treat quote-unquote sensitive areas like schools and hospitals as off limits for ICE enforcement. But in New York City, ICE officers generally aren't allowed to enter public schools. The Department of Education makes that very clear. Agents can only come in if they have a judicial warrant or in very rare emergencies.

And if ICE does show up, school security is supposed to stop them at the door, alert the principal, and then officials need to get legal counsel involved before anything else happens. And in practice, the Department of Education officials say that they haven't seen ICE trying to enter schools. There have been a handful of students who have been detained, but that's when they go to immigration check-ins, usually at court. Even with those protections, some parents still worry about sending their kids to school. What are city officials and advocates saying to families who might be considering keeping children at home? The message from the Department of Education is, send your kids to school. Officials say schools are safe, welcoming spaces, and every child,

regardless of immigration status, has the right to an education under federal law, federal precedent, that is, and New York state law. And that includes access to services like translation and interpretation and free meals if they qualify. Advocates are also stressing the importance of updating your child's emergency contact information. You know, it may seem like a small thing that you have to do at the beginning of the year, but it can really make a huge difference if a parent is suddenly detained. What about student privacy? What kind of information can schools collect or share about? families. So schools can't ask about a family's immigration status, at least in New York City.

And if a staff member learns about that information, they're required to keep it confidential. Federal law also restrict schools from releasing student records without parental consent. And even if ICE does bring a subpoena, the school district has to notify parents first, so families have a chance to challenge the release of any data. Some of these steps deal with the immediate day-to-day. But what about long-term, longer-term planning if a parent is detained or deported? What should families be thinking about and thinking about right now? So some attorneys that rather call this safety planning.

And parents can designate what's called a standby guardian or a person, quote unquote, in parental relation, so that another trusted adult can make school and medical decisions for their child and potentially take over guardianship of their child if something happens. And without that, children risk ending up in foster care if their parents are suddenly detained. Parents can also set up a power of attorney for another person to handle their finance. And I know this can be a really difficult or cumbersome step to take, but lawyers and advocates say that it's much better to prepare in advance than to face a crisis without a plan. And, Ari, what resources are available for parents or students who want more guidance on these issues? The Department of Education has information on its website about student rights and immigration enforcement protocols and groups like legal services NYC and New York Legal Assistance Group host what's called family preparedness clinics where parents can designate guardians and get legal advice.

And advocates also encourage families to talk directly with their schools, especially before immigration hearings or appointments, because schools can connect them with legal aid and community partners if they do get detained. Now, Aria, I know we've been reporting on some of these so-called safe zones, as you described, you know, courthouses and so forth. But we've seen where immigration agents have come in and arrested people, either in the courthouse or right outside the courthouse and so forth. in this situation with kids going back and forth to school, there's this gap between school and home that immigration agents can actually act and pounce on kids. So that safety net is gone when they leave school. Right. And that certainly is a concern for some people.

And I think the big thing that advocates and lawyers try to emphasize is to know your rights. You know, you don't have to answer questions if you don't need to. You don't have to provide paperwork in certain circumstances. And there's more information about this, of course, on various websites, specifically the New York Civil Liberties Union website has a lot of information about this. WNYC's Arias Sunder Ramon, the Case for us. Thank you, Aria. Thank you, Michael. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC.

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