Here are how Donald Trump's promised policy changes could be felt in NYC
Donald Trump is returning to the White House, according to election results from the Associated Press, and he's promised policy changes in his second term that could be deeply felt in New York.
Mass deportations of undocumented immigrants could place entire neighborhoods under siege. Federal funding for some of the MTA's most high-profile transit projects could be withdrawn. And public education could be transformed by the elimination – or downsizing – of the federal education department.
Here's a roundup of three areas where Trump's policies are likely to affect New Yorkers.
Trump's election casts doubt on the future of major transportation projects in New York.
During his first term, Trump stalled federal funding for the Gateway project to build a new tunnel for Amtrak and NJ Transit beneath the Hudson River. His federal Department of Transportation also slow-walked approval of congestion pricing – a program that Trump has signaled he'll kill once he's sworn into a second term.
The MTA's next $65.4 billion capital plan is counting on as much as $14 billion in federal funding to cover the costs, which could now be in jeopardy.
However, Tom Wright, president of the influential Regional Plan Association, said Trump's election may not mean inevitable doom for local transit. He pointed to a strategy used by foreign leaders and some Democrats when it comes to Trump: flattery and public praise.
For now, the fate of congestion pricing is in the hands of Gov. Kathy Hochul , who paused the program indefinitely. Many experts believe if it's not up and running by inauguration day, there is little chance Trump will sign off on the plan to toll drivers traveling south of 60th Street in Manhattan. In May, Trump declared on social media he would "TERMINATE Congestion Pricing in my FIRST WEEK back in Office!!"
Trump has been clear about his goal when it comes to immigration: to deport as many people as possible. At the Republican National Convention, he promised to launch "the largest deportation operation in the history of our country."
Trump's campaign centered on a hardline approach to the U.S.-Mexico border. And if he has his way — a big if, given the many civil-rights attorneys who will line up to challenge him — it could have a major effect on millions of people who are undocumented or seeking asylum, including some of the tens of thousands of recently arrived migrants who remain in New York City's care.
Theo Oshiro, executive director of Make the Road Action, has said a second Trump administration would be an "existential threat" to members of immigrant communities who "see themselves as contributors to our country."
"They see themselves as wanting to live the American dream," Oshiro, whose organization advocates for immigrants' rights, said last month. "And so when elected leaders are speaking in horrid ways against them, it will obviously have an impact."
An estimated 476,000 undocumented immigrants reside in New York City, according to a January report by city Comptroller Brad Lander.
Trump's deportation push is expected to rely, in part, on his plan to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 , a rarely used, centuries-old law that allows presidents to remove non-citizens from enemy nations during war. The law formed the legal basis for Japanese internment camps during World War II. Republicans' 2024 platform calls for Trump to invoke the law to remove immigrants who are known gang members, drug dealers or cartel members.
He's also said he would dispatch the U.S. military to the border under a law known as the Insurrection Act.
In both cases, Trump would likely face legal challenges. In a paper earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union said Trump "simply cannot accomplish his immigration agenda without violating the Constitution and federal laws."
The 2024 Republican platform calls for abolishing the federal Department of Education and giving more control to the states. The party also supports "parental rights" that push back on diversity initiatives in schools and classrooms.
According to the platform, "Republicans will ensure children are taught fundamentals like reading, history, science and math, not left-wing propaganda." It also calls for supporting teaching of "Western civilization," and promises to defund schools that engage in "inappropriate indoctrination."
While New York City has been relatively insulated from many of these culture war battles, there have been efforts to censor some books highlighting LGBTQ+ issues , notably on Staten Island. Some activists have called for changes to city policies that allow students to play sports according to their gender identity. Those voices have been in the minority. But with Trump's election, their advocacy may now receive support from the federal government.
Those cultural issues, however, pale in comparison to Republicans' goal of dismantling the federal Department of Education entirely. Federal dollars make up 6% of the city education department's budget – though Republicans propose sending federal funding to the states with no strings attached.
Although Republicans have long campaigned to dismantle the Department of Education, doing so would require congressional approval. The perennial pledge has failed for decades.
