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Obama-era ICE director says Trump admin like a ‘police state’ by asking people to prove legal citizenship

Former Obama ICE Director Sarah Saldaña condemned President Donald Trump’s ICE enforcement on Friday, arguing it is comparable to a police state. 

Amid Trump’s effort to accomplish his flagship campaign promise of mass deportations, many commentators have harkened back to his predecessor, Barack Obama, who was nicknamed the "Deporter-in-chief" during his presidency. While some argue that Obama’s deportations faced less pushback from local leaders during a comparatively more moderate time in American politics, one official argued that Trump’s is the outlier.

CNN played a clip of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaking about the targeted enforcement of deportation efforts focusing not only on specific persons, but asking for the identity verification of the people around them as well, saying this has been common practice. 

CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked Saldaña, "What do you think? Is that standard practice for I.C.E. agents to ask someone to prove their identity and to show citizenship papers if they’re asked whether they’re citizens?"

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Saldaña replied, "I know a little bit about this subject, and that is not the practice. That’s not part of the protocol. Of course, as was reported a little earlier, the goal of the Obama administration in apprehensions and removals was to make the community safer. So we were not sweeping neighborhoods and metropolitan areas in order to try to find people who might be in the country without authorization."

"I always object to the term ‘raids,’ because the way I’m familiar with the process — and what we required — was targeted operations," she continued. "I heard the secretary there say all their operations are targeted. I think it’s pretty clear that that is simply not the case, and requiring American citizens to show identification is a huge step forward and should bring pause to all of us."

This policy, Saldaña said, is like something "close to a police state."

"There’s concern I have that the United States decision last year, the Vasquez Perdomo case, has opened the door to this issue of identification, always been required," Saldaña added. "Police officers can ask you to prove your identity, but that is very different from proving you’re a citizen of the United States, and the papers you carry typically are not going to reflect that. So it is putting an onus and getting very close to infringing on the civil rights of the ordinary citizen."

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She went on to argue that having thousands of agents engaged in such sweeps is an inordinate response to the challenge at hand. As it stands, many agents are facing crowds of agitators and are having to do crowd control while doing their immigration raids. 

"Florida and Texas have far larger immigrant communities than the state of Minnesota. Again, the goal should be to ensure public safety, and this type of menacing presence does not accomplish that," Saldaña argued.

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Illegal alien with 24 convictions among ‘worst of the worst’ arrested in Minnesota ICE operation: DHS

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Friday announced the arrest of what it called the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal immigrants during Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, including a man with 24 criminal convictions. 

The agency blasted state and local leaders for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

DHS said the arrests show the results of ICE enforcement operations in sanctuary jurisdictions, contrasting the agency’s actions with what it described as the refusal of Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to honor ICE detainers. 

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That policy, DHS claims, has resulted in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens being released back into local Minnesota communities.

"As our law enforcement are facing rampant violence against them, they arrested murderers, drug traffickers and an illegal with 24 criminal convictions in Minneapolis," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "These are the criminals Governor [Tim] Walz and Mayor [Jacob] Frey are protecting. No American wants these criminals for neighbors."

DHS said the arrests were made as part of Operation Metro Surge, a targeted enforcement effort focused on removing criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota neighborhoods. The department said the operation prioritizes offenders with serious criminal histories, including violent crimes.

According to DHS, criminals arrested in the state during the operation include Hien Quoc Thai, a Vietnamese national who was previously convicted of murder.

Brian Anjain from the Marshall Islands has 24 criminal convictions, including assault causing bodily injury, domestic abuse, public nudity, theft, interference with official acts, public intoxication and trespassing, DHS said.

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Eddy Xol-Lares of Venezuela was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while aboard a vessel.

Those arrested also include criminal illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, South Africa and Romania, according to DHS.

DHS said the operation also resulted in the arrests of people convicted of crimes including domestic violence, assault, fraud, identity theft, forgery, restraining order violations, property damage and multiple drunken driving offenses, with several facing prior charges involving kidnapping, robbery with deadly weapons, gun possession and narcotics offenses.

The department claims that since President Donald Trump took office, nearly 470 criminal illegal immigrants have been released back into Minnesota communities due to sanctuary-style policies.

DHS also said it is urging Walz and Frey to honor ICE detainers for more than 1,360 aliens, including violent criminals currently in custody, arguing that cooperation would improve public safety.

Additional information about those arrested nationwide is available through the agency’s public-facing database at wow.dhs.gov, which tracks enforcement actions involving serious offenders.

New national park on 'edge of the world’ will be built in two years: See the stunning photos

Chile is preparing to create a new national park to protect its endangered wildlife and unique ecosystems.

The park, Cape (Cabo) Froward National Park, would stretch some 370,000 acres. 

It would be located on the Brunswick Peninsula, according to Reuters.

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Forests, peatlands, glaciers and coastline can be found across the land.

Cape Froward sits at the southern tip of the Americas. 

It's been called a park "on the edge of the world," a place where the Americas meet Antarctica.

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The Brunswick Peninsula is located in Patagonia, bordering the Strait of Magellan and Otway Sound.

Wildlife coordinator Benjamín Caceres of Rewilding Chile, a nonprofit conservation foundation involved with the project, told Reuters the peninsula is a "mosaic of marine, coastal and land ecosystems."

"These are resilient places that maintain balance and create a refuge for species that are in danger of extinction," Caceres said.

The land — considered a site of cultural and historical heritage — is in ancestral Kawésqar territory.

It's an area tied to early "end-of-the-world" exploration history, according to Rewilding Chile.

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The park is home to the largest deer native to Chile, the endangered huemul deer. The stocky mammal has short legs, thick fur and large ears, according to Discover Wildlife.

Chile recorded 5,239,233 foreign tourist arrivals in 2024, according to government data.

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The park is expected to be completed in two years.

Reuters contributed reporting. 

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss sues NCAA to get sixth season of eligibility

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has sued the NCAA after being denied a sixth year of eligibility. 

Chambliss' lawyers are asking a Mississippi judge for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to play one more collegiate season, according to multiple reports. 

The NCAA formally rejected his request for a sixth year of eligibility Jan. 9 due to him and his team not being able to provide evidence he was suffering from an "incapacitating injury or illness" when he did not play for Division II Ferris State in 2022 due to apparent respiratory issues.

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"In November, Ole Miss filed a waiver request for football student-athlete Trinidad Chambliss, seeking to extend his five-year Division I eligibility clock, citing an incapacitating illness or injury. Approval requires schools to submit medical documentation provided by a treating physician at the time of a student’s incapacitating injury or illness, which was not provided," the statement says.

"The documents provided by Ole Miss and the student’s prior school include a physician’s note from a December 2022 visit, which stated the student-athlete was ‘doing very well’ since he was seen in August 2022. 

"Additionally, the student-athlete’s prior school indicated it had no documentation on medical treatment, injury reports or medical conditions involving the student-athlete during that time frame and cited "developmental needs and our team’s competitive circumstances" as its reason the student-athlete did not play in the 2022-23 season. The waiver request was denied."

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Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said the school would appeal the ruling.

"We are disappointed with today's announcement by the NCAA and plan to appeal the decision to the Committee level," Carter said in a social media post, in which he included the flag of Trinidad and Tobago. "Additionally, we will continue to work in conjunction with Trinidad's representatives in other avenues of support."

Chambliss' attorney also released a statement that day suggesting litigation could be coming.

"I understand that Ole Miss will file an appeal with the NCAA. However, there’s now an opportunity to move this case to a level playing field where Trinidad’s rights will be determined by the Mississippi judiciary instead of some bureaucrats in Indianapolis who couldn’t care less about the law or doing the right thing," Tom Mars said. 

"Whether to pursue that course of action is a decision only Trinidad and his parents can make."

Chambliss and his legal team will go to court in an effort to keep him on the field for the 2026 season.

The NCAA referred to its Jan. 9 statement when contacted for a response to the lawsuit by Fox News Digital.

Ole Miss came within a quarter of advancing to the NCAA semifinal, losing a 31-27 thriller to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 8. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Bud Light backlash figure Dylan Mulvaney joins women-centered Broadway musical

Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender influencer at the center of the 2023 Bud Light backlash, has been cast in the Broadway musical about women’s history, "Six."

Mulvaney will play Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, marking her Broadway debut. The casting comes more than two years after Mulvaney’s partnership with Bud Light sparked a nationwide boycott and a steep decline in sales for the beer brand.

"Losing our heads to introduce your newest Anne Boleyn! Show some royal love to Queen Dylan Mulvaney, who will be joining the #SIXBroadway 5.0 cast as Anne Boleyn starting February 16!" the musical’s official X account announced Friday.

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"Six" retells the stories of King Henry VIII’s six wives through a modern pop lens. Several of the women were executed or divorced, and the show’s website says the wives take the stage to "reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse."

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The casting has sparked debate online because the production has long promoted itself as a female-centered retelling of women’s historical experiences.

The musical has been widely marketed as a feminist-pop celebration of women’s history and "21st century girl power" and has previously emphasized its all-female ensemble. "Six" won the Tony Award for best original score in 2022.

Mulvaney became a national figure in April 2023 after posting videos showing Bud Light had sent a pack of beer featuring the influencer’s face. The promotion was part of a campaign marking Mulvaney’s first full year transitioning to be a woman.

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Mulvaney rose to prominence by documenting the gender transition in a daily social media series, "Days of Girlhood." In January 2024, FOX Business reported that Bud Light sales fell nearly 30% in the months following the campaign.

The controversy grew into one of the most prominent corporate culture clashes in recent years, ultimately costing Bud Light its position as America’s top-selling beer.

Mulvaney appeared on "The View" in March 2025 to defend the partnership, saying she loved beer and "didn’t think anything of it" when she accepted the brand deal. She also appeared on "CBS Mornings," where she criticized the Trump administration’s rollback of transgender-related policies.

"It didn’t change any way that I think about myself because I’m a woman no matter what my passport says," Mulvaney said. The influencer was referring to the State Department’s decision to stop issuing passports with an "X" gender marker in addition to "M" and "F."

Schumer reveals 'bipartisan' plans to reverse DOGE cuts as lawmakers work through funding push

House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would press to restore funding cut by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and even add to the original amounts.

Schumer made the comments when he was asked Thursday if he would work to replenish funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at a forum held by the Center for American Progress.

"If you look at the budget we’re working on right now, we restore most of the cuts. And even go higher than previous years on many of the programs that DOGE slashed," Schumer said.

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"We have worked really hard and gotten bipartisan support to increase these amounts and undo a lot of the cuts which are essential."

He did not describe which specific programs he hopes to supplement. 

Lawmakers have not yet released a final text for the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill for 2026. The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed a plan that would increase its fiscal year 2026 funding by $5 billion over fiscal 2025 levels.

Since the Trump administration began making cuts through DOGE, Democrats like Schumer have largely condemned them, calling them an attack on government resources and services.

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Republicans, by contrast, have framed the effort as a way to remove waste, fraud and abuse. According to the DOGE website, the group believes it has eliminated $215 billion in waste.

Republicans made $115 billion of those spending reductions official through a bill passed last year.

Since then, lawmakers have not advanced another rescissions package, a bill that helps lawmakers fast-track spending reductions at the request of the president.

Republicans like Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chairman of the House DOGE Caucus, say the GOP's cost-cutting efforts are still ongoing in the background.

"DOGE is still alive," Bean told Fox News Digital in December. "We’re going to get it rocking. I think that will come down the road."

Bean noted that several pressing issues have captured Congress’ attention in the last few months.

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"I think, you know, the shutdown set everybody back a little bit. These credits, with the budget, with everything," Bean said, referring to the COVID-era Obamacare tax credits that were at the heart of the 2025 government shutdown.

Members of the House and Senate Appropriations committees did not immediately respond to a request for a response to Schumer’s statements.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell revealed in first images from 'Yellowstone' spinoff 'The Madison'

Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell star in the upcoming series "The Madison" in a first-look reveal.

Prior to taking most of 2026 off, Pfeiffer filmed the "Yellowstone" spinoff, which is a "heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana," according to a synopsis of the show.

Aside from Pfeiffer and Russell, "The Madison" stars Beau Garrett, Elle Chapman, Patrick J. Adams, Amiah Miller, Alaina Pollack, Ben Schnetzer, Kevin Zegers, Rebecca Spence, Danielle Vasinova and Matthew Fox.

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Pfeiffer told Fox News Digital in November that her priorities have shifted now that she's a grandmother, and she plans on not working as much in 2026.

"Well, I mean, look, I am feeling very blessed for the opportunities that are presenting themselves to me and loving the work. I've been like working with incredible cast members in all three things that I've done recently. Great directors, great material. However, little did I know my daughter was planning on getting pregnant, which she did successfully," Pfeiffer said. 

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"And, lo and behold, here I am working a lot. So, I think I'm going to have probably most of next year off, which I'm really looking forward to. Look, it's an embarrassment of riches, honestly. It's like, ‘Wah.’ I'm just really wanting my choices and the way I spend my time — whatever time I have left — to spend it meaningfully is what I'm focusing on."

In the first stills that have been released, Pfeiffer is seen sitting in a wooden rocking chair on a porch. Pfeiffer's character, Stacy Clyburn, is described as the "heart of the family." She is holding a book in the shot.

Another image shows Pfeiffer holding a coffee mug and wearing an oversized utility jacket in a field.

In another image, Russell's character, Preston Clyburn, is sitting on a tree stump looking off into the distance. Other stills show Russell with Fox fly-fishing in a stream in Montana.

Schnetzer stars as Van Davis, a sheriff in Montana. One image shows him in a vest with a gun, wearing blue jeans and a sheriff's hat.

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A press release for the series says "The Madison" is "a profound love story channeled through a deeply personal family drama about resilience and transformation." It also mentioned that this is Taylor Sheridan's "most intimate work to date."

The series unfolds "across two distinct worlds — the beautiful landscape of Montana and the vibrant energy of Manhattan — as it examines the ties that bind families together," the release stated.

In August 2024, Pfeiffer announced she had been cast in the series and would also serve as an executive producer.

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"This cats out of the bag," Excited for this! #Madison," the three-time Academy Award nominee wrote on Instagram at the time.

"The Madison" will mark Pfeiffer's return to TV after starring as Betty Ford in the 2022 Showtime anthology series "The First Lady."

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The first season of "The Madison" consists of six episodes and will premiere on Paramount+ March 14.

Cat caught on camera starting dangerous kitchen fire after jumping on stove and turning on burner

A cat started a fire that caused severe damage to a kitchen in Dallas County, Texas, this week after it was able to turn on the stove, officials said.

The Garland Fire Department responded to the fire Wednesday and immediately extinguished the blaze, the department said in a release. 

Then investigators found home surveillance video that showed a cat jumping up onto the stove, which had items on it, and turned on the stove, igniting the blaze. 

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In the video, the cat quickly leaps off the stove after turning on a burner, which ignited the items sitting on top.

A picture of the kitchen after the fire showed the fire had spread to other appliances, the kitchen door and the ceiling before firefighters were able to put it out.

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There was no damage to the rest of the home. 

The department reminded residents to keep combustible items like paper towels or plastic containers off stovetops, to always turn off burners and ovens, to never leave cooking unattended and to keep the area clutter-free.

It also suggested using safety stove knob covers. 

"Even when a stove or cooktop is not actively in use, residual heat or accidental activation can quickly ignite nearby combustible items. A few seconds of prevention can stop a fire from starting," the department said in a release.  

Gov Newsom agrees with Shapiro that trans issue is 'barrier' for people to support Democratic Party

California Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed with Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro Thursday that whether boys can become girls is one of the great deal-breaker issues for the Democratic Party.

"I think one of the major failings of the Democratic Party in the last election cycle is the unwillingness to say whether it was true or untrue that a boy could become a girl," Shapiro said on the "This is Gavin Newsom" podcast.

Newsom and Shapiro went back and forth about the policy of teachers being allowed to withhold from parents that their children are being socially transitioned at school without their parents’ knowledge, but the governor argued this is a statistically minute issue.

"We’re talking about so few people that are struggling with gender identity issues," Newsom said. "I'm with the governor, Gov. Spencer Cox, who said about many of these issues, never has so much attention been placed on so few people."

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"The problem is I do think that, on an electoral level — to go to the politics — it is a barrier to entry for a lot of people when you say a boy can become a girl," Shapiro replied.

"I respect if that's your barrier to then listening to people on a myriad of other issues," Newsom said. "So be it. It is what it is."

"I find it strange that even if you wish to have a public policy that pursues something different, we cannot just admit that boys and girls are two different things and that a boy cannot become a girl," Shapiro said. "Why is this so difficult?"

"Yeah, I understand your point of view," Newsom replied, later saying that Shapiro is a "facts over empathy guy."

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Newsom has shown nuance on this issue in recent months. 

In March, Newsom noted in an interview with Charlie Kirk that biological men in women’s sports is an issue of fairness, calling it "deeply unfair."

He also spoke about the issue with The New York Times’ Ezra Klein.

"That’s an issue no one wants to hear about because 80% of the people listening disagree with my position on this. But it comes from my heart, not just my head. It wasn’t a political evolution," he said.

"I want to see trans kids. I have a trans godson. There’s no governor who has signed more pro-trans legislation than I have. No one has been a stronger advocate for the LGBTQ community."

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Mamdani announces $2.1M settlement with major landlord as tenants describe 'nightmare' conditions

New York City reached a $2.1 million settlement with A&E Real Estate covering 14 buildings in three boroughs, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying the agreement will force repairs and stop what he described as tenant harassment.

"Today, I am proud to stand here … to announce that New York City has come to a settlement with A&E Realty regarding 14 buildings across three boroughs," Mamdani said Friday at a news conference in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Asked during the news conference how aggressive the new administration plans to be with landlords, Mamdani said, "We want to make it clear to everyone in this city that no one is above the law and that if you are a landlord violating the law, then this administration will hold you to account."

Mamdani said the settlement requires A&E to pay "$2.1 million in restitution" and includes "injunctions preventing them from harassing their tenants" while compelling the company "to correct more than 4,000 building code violations across these 14 buildings."

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"For years, A&E has operated with callous disregard for those residing in its properties, racking up over 140,000 total violations, including 35,000 in the last year alone," Mamdani said. "City Hall will not sit idly by and accept this illegality, nor will we allow bad actors to continue to harass tenants with impunity."

A tenant, Diana De La Paz, described conditions she said residents have dealt with at her building, including prolonged elevator outages, heat issues and infestations. De La Paz said the elevator in her building has been out of service for long stretches, which she said "effectively imprison[ed] elderly and disabled tenants in their own homes."

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Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Dina Levy said the agreement will affect "750 tenants across 14 buildings" and said the city’s litigation "has produced a settlement that will lead to the correction of more than 4,000 Housing Code violations."

"It will enforce long overdue court-ordered repairs and impose $2.1 million in civil penalties and will include binding injunctions that will prohibit further tenant harassment and require sustained compliance moving forward from this landlord," Levy said.

Levy said the deal represents the agency's biggest settlement to date.

"Actually, the settlement announced today … represents HPD’s largest settlement in the history of the unit," Levy said, adding that the city has additional tools it can use, including intervention in distressed buildings and, in extreme situations, removing buildings from owners’ control and installing "responsive management."

Levy added that the city’s immediate focus is getting violations fixed through the settlement but warned additional action is possible if landlords do not comply.

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"The intended outcome is safety and well-being for tenants," Mamdani said. "We today are announcing a multimillion-dollar settlement with this landlord to actually rectify these violations. That is what we want to see. If a landlord cannot get to that settlement, continues to operate outside of the law, then we will hold them to account in additional ways."

City Council member Shekar Krishnan, who represents Jackson Heights, called A&E a "reprehensible landlord" and said enforcement is what tenants need.

"As a former tenant lawyer myself … I’ve always said that tenants’ rights are not worth more than the paper they’re written on if they’re not enforced in reality," Krishnan said. "Here we are today … showing what enforcement looks like."

Mamdani also announced what he called "rental ripoff" hearings across the city.

"We will be holding a rental ripoff hearing in each of the five boroughs within the first 100 days of our administration," he said, describing them as hearings where multiple agencies will "listen to New Yorkers’ needs" and use that feedback to shape enforcement and policy.

"We’ve made it our mission to collaborate with the city to improve this building and others that were in deep disrepair when we took ownership," a spokesperson for A&E Real Estate told Fox News Digital. "In every building we’ve purchased, we’ve invested in replacing boilers, rehabbing elevators and fixing tens of thousands of longstanding violations.

"We are pleased to have settled all legal issues with the City and have agreed upon a repair plan with the housing department that we are already delivering on. We look forward to partnering with the city to improve the lives of our residents and find collaborative ways to protect and to continue to invest in New York City’s housing stock."