Legal Aid Society

New York City's public schools are implementing standardized policies to address school avoidance, following a class action lawsuit alleging insufficient support for students with emotional disabilities. The settlement includes mental health assessments, teacher training, and designated officials to tackle the issue, which has nearly doubled since the pandemic.

New York City's Education Department is updating its approach to school avoidance under a legal agreement reached with attorneys who filed a class-action lawsuit. The agreement mandates designating school avoidance liaisons in all schools and emphasizes early intervention for students missing school due to social or emotional challenges.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering requiring a $100,000 bond for some green-card applicants, which would be forfeited if the applicant uses public benefits before citizenship. Immigrant advocates argue the plan lacks legal justification and creates a wealth-based barrier to citizenship. The State Department claims the bond aligns with requiring financial self-sufficiency and enforcing immigration laws.

Mikhail Vinitsky, a former NYPD officer with ALS, was sued in Brooklyn Housing Court for unpaid rent and fees after being hospitalized. He claims his landlord failed to communicate via accessible methods despite knowing his condition, and Legal Aid Society has offered him representation.

A court-appointed federal manager overseeing reforms at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex released a report outlining a one-year plan to address unconstitutional conditions. The report highlights systemic failures in staffing, safety, and infrastructure, with monthly benchmarks aimed at improving core correctional functions, accountability, and data collection.

Former city Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins, identified as City Official #1 in a bribery indictment against Frank Carone, is a key witness in the case. Prosecutors allege Carone directed Jenkins to approve a $6 million migrant shelter contract for a Long Island City hotel, which Jenkins did despite staff objections. Carone's defense claims prosecutors are withholding evidence to counter the narrative.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) mistakenly terminated Section 8 rent subsidies for hundreds of public housing tenants at privately managed developments, leading to eviction notices. The error stemmed from a backlog in processing annual recertifications, with tenants claiming they submitted required paperwork, and NYCHA acknowledging the issue.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin defended ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, suggesting they can apply for residency, temporary visas, or return home with federal financial assistance. The Supreme Court upheld the decision, which immigration advocates in New York and legal experts condemned as harmful, arguing it ignores the dangers of returning to unstable home countries.

The Legal Aid Society accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani's NYPD of maintaining aggressive fare evasion enforcement similar to Eric Adams' administration, with data showing 3,188 arrests and 26,267 summonses in Q1 2026. New Yorkers of color accounted for 94% of arrests and 81% of summonses. NYPD countered that enforcement declined 15% compared to Q1 2025 and shifted focus to high-crime areas.

Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards has released 14 detainees from Rikers Island using Article 6-A of the State Correction Law, which allows early release for those serving sentences under a year. Advocates support the move as a tool to reduce jail population, with Richards planning to release about 60 people by year-end.

Nashville is expanding its Eviction Right to Counsel program with $4.5 million in funding, doubling its budget to provide legal support for low-income renters facing eviction. The program, now permanent under the city’s new budget, aims to help over 1,000 households annually by offering legal representation, rental assistance, and mediation through a coalition of five organizations.

Nashville's Eviction Right to Counsel program is now permanent after Metro Council approved increased funding and embedded it within the city's Housing Division. The program, which provides legal services to low-income renters facing eviction, received $4.5 million in 2027 budget funding, up from $2.4 million the previous year, and is administered by five partner organizations including Legal Aid Society and the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association.

Legal Aid Society filed an amicus brief supporting New York’s law prohibiting federal immigration arrests in state courthouses, arguing such arrests create fear and deter immigrants from participating in the justice system. The brief highlights cases where immigrants avoided court due to fears of ICE detention, impacting public safety and legal processes.

A man was severely injured when a ceiling at Bellevue homeless shelter in New York City fell on him, leading to a lawsuit against the city. The city is blocked from moving services to an East Village shelter by a state Supreme Court judge, who is reviewing a lawsuit from local residents opposing the relocation.

29 City Council members demand an investigation after a 33-year-old woman gave birth in a Brooklyn courtroom while handcuffed. The incident occurred during her arraignment for low-level drug and trespassing charges, prompting calls for systemic reforms in law enforcement and court practices.

A federal class action lawsuit alleges that New York City's Administration for Children Services (ACS) abused emergency powers to separate children from parents without court approval, disproportionately affecting Black and Latino families. The lawsuit claims constitutional violations, citing statistics showing 33% of emergency removal cases lacked sufficient legal justification and 90% involved children of color.

Hundreds of tenants in The Bronx's River Park Towers face evictions due to faulty paperwork related to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The Legal Aid Society filed a lawsuit to stop the evictions, citing issues with recertification processes affecting nearly 30% of units.