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New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Squad leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., teamed up to release an infomercial encouraging all New York parents, regardless of immigration status, to sign their children up for free preschool.
In an X post, Mamdani framed it as part of the “fight for universal childcare.”
In the video, which was delivered entirely in Spanish, Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that “any New York City parent, regardless of your occupation, income or immigration status, is eligible to sign their child up.”
She added that “we’ve made the application process easy, no matter who you are.”
Then New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani holds hands with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at the end of a campaign rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on October 26, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
The congresswoman, who is considered one of the leading figures of the Democratic Party and a prospective 2028 presidential contender, said that “free childcare is one of the most important ways we can make our city more affordable for everyone.”
She touted a registration line available in over 200 languages, saying, “No family should be shut out from our programs just because of the language they speak.”
Mamdani asserted that “for too long, New York City families have been crushed by the cost of childcare, paying as much as $26,000 per child every single year.”
“That is not sustainable, it is not fair, and it is not inevitable,” he said.
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference in New York City. (Yuki Iwamura/AP)
“We have the power to do something different,” Mamdani continued, adding, “When you apply before the deadline … your child will be guaranteed a 3K or Pre-K placement.”
In the video caption, Mamdani quipped, “My Spanish is… not very good. But the fight for universal childcare? That’s very good.”
Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani’s offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mamdani has recently taken criticism, including from CNN host Fareed Zakaria, for failing to deliver on grand promises to residents.
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In front of a painting of Alexander Hamilton, Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters about the city’s finances during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
“New York is really a prime example of a problem Democrats seem unwilling to confront. Blue cities are out of control. Promising more, spending more, delivering less and pushing off the fiscal problems to some future day,” Zakaria said.
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“Zohran Mamdani ran on a promise to make New York affordable,” the host went on. “Last week, he unveiled a budget that is, in a word, unaffordable. New York has been fiscally profligate for so long that the headline number, $127 billion, produces little shock. But for perspective, these are similar to the annual expenditures of a mid-sized nation with all the expenses a country requires, like Greece or Thailand, devoted to governing one city.”
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