NYC NOW - Midday News: Travel Ban Could Affect Local Immigrants, Advocates Say Afterschool Plan Doesn't Serve Students with Disabilities, and NJ Governor Primary Nears Finish Line

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

Immigrant rights groups say the Trump administration’s new travel ban set to take effect Monday will deeply impact New Yorkers with ties to Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, and other affected countries. Meanwhile, student advocates warn that Mayor Adams’ “Afterschool for All” plan needs to do more to serve kids with disabilities. Plus, New Jersey’s primary race for governor wraps up Tuesday. Max Pizarro of Insider NJ previews what to expect in the final stretch.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Friday, June 6th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. Immigrant rights advocates say the Trump administration's decision to impose a travel ban against citizens of several countries will have a profound impact on immigrant New Yorkers. The ban goes into effect on Monday, prevents citizens. of Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, and other countries from entering the USA. Debbie Almond Taser co-founded the many American Merchants Association.

She says the ban will keep many New Yorkers separated from their loved ones. It's discriminatory, it's divisive, and clearly rooted in the desire to exclude Muslims and countless other black and brown communities. President Trump cited terrorism concerns when he announced the measure and said, quote, nothing will stop us from keeping America safe. Some advocates for students with disabilities say Mayor Adams's after school for all plan won't really be for all until the city updates its bus contracts. Many students with disabilities depend on yellow buses for transportation to specialize programs

and they don't serve after school. Lucas Healy is a high school junior with autism. He attended a rally yesterday and he says many of his classmates need buses. They still needed the busings because they're not. They can't travel independently. They missed out on the plays, the sports, the clubs, and a general opportunity to make new friends and have new experience. The mayor's initiative would add thousands of new seats to after-school programs next fall.

In response to the Riley City Hall says the mayor is committed to expanding education access for students with disabilities, including after-school. We have more for you on our new site at Gossamas. 81 and Sunday now, partly sunny 85 today with the chance. or showers and thunderstorms. NYC. The Republican and Democratic primaries for New Jersey's next governor

are in the final days of their primary campaigns. Election Day is this Tuesday and you can still also vote early over the weekend. Max Pizarro is editor-in-chief and co-founder of Insider NJ, which covers Garden State Politics.

He joins us now to help us tee up the days to come. Max, welcome the morning edition. So happy to be here, Michael. Thank you. You're most welcome. Let's start with the very basics, Max. It's a crowded field of candidates. Remind us who is running for the Democrats and for the Republicans. On the Democratic side, Michael, you have Congresswoman Mikey Sherrill, Congressman Josh Godheimer, former Senate President Steve Sweeney, Jersey City Mayor, Steve Fullop, Newark, Newark City Mayor Raz Baraka, and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller. Those are the Democrats. On the Republican side, you have former assemblyman Jack Cheaterrelli,

Senator John Bramnick, radio personality, Bill Spadia, and Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Cranjack. And Max, who are the frontrunners in each of these races as of right now based on polling? And are they expected to be the victors come Tuesday? Michael, it's a little more complicated on the Democratic side, so I'll start with the Republicans and the clear frontrunner based on polling. consistently now throughout this entire election season has been Jack Cheaterrelli. Now, Chiaterrelli is run for governor two times before.

He has a very high name ID. He is also aided by the fact that President Donald Trump endorsed Cheaterrelli in a Republican primary, and that's highly significant. On the Democratic side, the polling has shown Mikey Cheryl running first, but with a significant opportunity among the other candidates to conceivably catch her if they get the vote out on Tuesday. The trouble is some of those candidates seem to be impairing one another. So Cheryl has some of the traditional support of organizations while her rivals, namely, Raz Baraka and Steve Fullop, who are both running in the progressive lane, do not have that

support and are trying to engender backing through their messaging and through their campaign organizing. But they're fighting in many ways for the same progressive vote. And the same is true for Godheimer and Sweeney, who are also impeding each other in the more moderate or conservative wing of the Democratic Party. So Cheryl is the favorite, Michael, but just in brief, as you know, the bracketing system has changed in New Jersey. So the organizations perhaps do not have the strength they did even just two years ago. And so we'll be watching to see who wins the primary for the Democrats on Tuesday. We're also watching to see if the organizations without the benefits of a ballot that traditionally always gave their candidates an advantage still maintain some kind

of power. Yeah. Max, based on the way you're giving this description, you're describing the Democratic race is this is going to be a toss-up on Tuesday. I think it is, Mike. I do. I think it's a very, very close race. I do think, as I said, Cheryl holds an advantage going in based on polling and based on the coherence of her organizational strength, namely Middlesex and Essex counties, where there are large numbers of Democratic voters who are working with the machine and they're adding to Cheryl's defined base of suburban voters. Max, tell us, what have been the defining issues in each of these races, and have they differed by party? They certainly have. I do think that the presidency of Donald Trump is significant here. Trump did a call with Republicans, a virtual call with his supporters on Monday, Michael, in which he talked about really trying to win here in New Jersey. And as I said, he has endorsed Cheaterrelli. So he's all in. And his agenda, I talked to Cheaterrelli. who voted yesterday is highly prized by this candidate.

And it's a law and order candidacy. It's less government and it's low taxes and it's anti-illegal immigration. And on the Democratic side, Trump is also the most significant figure because each candidate is trying to prove that he or she is most capable of fighting the Trump agenda in New Jersey. And affordability is a big issue, Max? It certainly is. It's certainly a big issue, and you see the Republicans trying to make the case that having Democrats in office has cost the state a great deal in terms of energy costs and property taxes and they want a new regime. John Bramnick, running in the Republican primary, has pointed out that the state needs someone else in the executive branch, that the Democrats do control the legislature, Michael, and to have a balance of power is needed right now. And Democrats, particularly Godheimer and Sweeney, are running on affordability messages.

They both want to lower property taxes. That's why they're occupying what I would call the more moderate lane to the Democratic Party. And Max, who are the biggest spenders in this election? We have 30 seconds. The biggest spender is actually the political action committee that supports the teachers president, the education union president, Spiller, which has spent almost. $40 million backing this candidate. The campaigns themselves, Michael,

I would say that Cheryl has spent the most. Godheimer has the most in his war chest. Chiade Reilly on the Republican side has the most money. That is Max Pizarro. He is the editor-in-chief and the co-founder of Insider NJ. Max, as always, my friend, thank you. Michael, my friend, thank you so much, sir. Thanks for listening.

now from WNYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a date for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcast. YC. YC.