Good Morning, New York! Legislation to delay the NY-21 special election is reportedly ‘on pause,’ Eric Adams refuses to speak out against tariffs, and a new type of ICE raids reported upstate. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Tuesday, February 4th, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany meeting with Canadian Consul General Tom Clark.

WHERE’s ERIC: In Albany for ‘Tin Cup Day,’ testifying on the budget.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Eric Adams broke from other Democrats on Monday as he refused to speak out against Trump’s tariffs. Instead, he called the border a “public safety issue” and advocated for “balance.” After his comments, both Canada and Mexico announced that they had agreed to increase border security in exchange for ending the tariffs. (NY Post)

— The NYPD has cleaned out their overtime budget, and the fiscal year is only halfway through. It continues their problem of officer departures and a crisis of recruitment. The overtime crisis also affects officers, who are often pulled out for mandatory overtime shifts, leaving them little time for family and friends. (NY Times)

— City officials reportedly delayed payments to landlords on Monday, citing the proposed federal funding freeze and its effects on their budget. The delay affected tens of thousands of New Yorkers who rent with Section 8 assistance. NYCHA has now said the money will be distributed by tomorrow. (Gothamist)

Capitol Gains

— Legislation to delay the special election in NY-21 appears to be “on pause” following comments from BPRHALC Chair Solages. Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries has been pushing for it hard, viewing it as a key part of his plan to derail the GOP agenda over the next two years. The GOP is furious, with Mike Johnson saying he would request a federal racketeering probe against NY Dems if they go through with the plan. (State of Politics, NY Times, NY Post)

— Gov. Kathy Hochul said new ICE raids were “nothing new” in an interview with MSNBC, saying that New York has worked with the agency for many years, particularly with regards to immigrants with criminal convictions. However, an investigation by Syracuse.com painted a far different picture, in which agents operate much differently than they used to. They say that ICE has been using a tactic of public intimidation, moving slowly and methodically through Upstate areas with high immigrant populations. (NBC5, Syracuse.com)

— AG Letitia James sent a letter to state hospitals urging them to not follow a new executive order banning gender-affirming care for minors. The AG says it could break state law, however that puts hospitals in a very tough position, because the executive order says that hospitals would lose federal funding if they did not comply. (NY Times)

— Reps. Langworthy and Tenney of Western NY wrote to Sec. Hegseth asking him to use the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station as a backup to ICE’s pre-existing facilities in that part of the state. The current federal detention facility, located in Batavia, is already almost at capacity, and won’t allow full operations at the desired levels. (The Buffalo News)

Trail Mix

— Adams will face mayoral challengers for the first time on ‘Tin Cup Day’ in Albany as they question him about his funding proposals for the state budget. (City & State)

— New York voter participation fell again to its lowest level since 2004, coming in at 43rd in the nation. The data was released by the New York Public Interest Research Group, and they asked state lawmakers to look into why voter turnout and enthusiasm was so low. (CBS6 Albany)

— Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign could be forced to pay back $10 million as POLITICO found that the campaign finance board extended their deadline to audit his campaign, making it more likely he is found in breach and forced to return matching funds. (POLITICO)

— The NYC GOP is furious at a plan to convert their voters into Democrats to vote in the mayoral primary. The group spearheading the shift, Be Counted NYC, has been sending letters to registered Republicans encouraging them to shift their registrations. The GOP, which has made inroads they view as crucial particularly in more suburban areas of NY over the last few years, has urged their voters to remain firm. (NY Post)