As REAL ID Deadline Approaches, Governor Hochul Calls on Department of Homeland Security to Surge Additional TSA Personnel to Avoid Long Waits or Safety Issues at New York Airports

Governor Hochul Encourages All New Yorkers To Prepare Ahead of REAL ID Deadline

A REAL ID Document Guide and Online Application Pre-Screening Tool Are Available Now

Governor Kathy Hochul is reminding New Yorkers that beginning May 7, 2025, standard licenses will no longer be accepted to fly within the United States and is urging travelers to be prepared and plan ahead before arriving at the airport to help avoid delays. The Governor also sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeking additional Transportation Security Officers for New York’s busiest airports — John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport — to ensure efficient and safe travel during the transition to REAL ID.

“Ahead of the May 7 deadline for airline passengers to provide REAL ID compliant identification, it is critical that travelers in the nation’s busiest airports continue to experience safe and efficient service,” Governor Hochul said. “In addition to calling on the federal government to provide additional TSA officers during this transition and help minimize potential disruptions, I’m also encouraging all New Yorkers who plan to travel domestically in the near future to make arrangements to obtain an acceptable ID and make a plan to avoid delays during this adjustment period.”

On May 7, 2025, travelers flying within the United States will be required to present a REAL ID, Enhanced ID, U.S. Passport or passport card (both of which are REAL ID-compliant), or another form of federally compliant identification to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. In addition to a compliant state-issued ID, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will accept more than one dozen types of identification after the REAL ID Act becomes enforceable for all airline passengers 18 years and older.

Last year was the busiest year on record at both JFK and LaGuardia, with over 96 million passengers combined between the two airports. New York State, in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has taken significant actions to prepare for the transition to REAL ID, including providing increased staff, educating customers, and developing a clear operational plan at security checkpoints. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has also undertaken an extensive public outreach campaign and made a number of accommodations, including expanded appointment availability to Saturdays and extended weekday hours, in an effort to create more opportunities for New Yorkers to transition to REAL ID. However, if someone does not have imminent travel plans or their license is set to expire, customers are asked to put off a DMV visit so that people who need a REAL or Enhanced ID to travel immediately can be accommodated.

Despite these efforts, delays are anticipated at major travel hubs as travelers across the nation adjust to the new requirement. To reduce delays, additional TSA screenings, and the possibility of not being allowed into the security checkpoint, all travelers should ensure they have a compliant form of identification prior to departure to an airport for either domestic or international travel. While TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States, proof of identification for underaged air travelers is subject to airline-specific policies.

The Port Authority recommends that all travelers should check current wait times for TSA security checkpoints at their departure airport terminal before leaving for the airport. Additional airport staff will be available to assist customers at terminals, but travelers should allow for extra travel time, especially during the first few days. Wait times can be viewed below:

• John F. Kennedy International Airport security wait times
• LaGuardia Airport security wait times

New Yorkers who have not yet obtained a REAL ID are strongly encouraged to make an appointment online before their next flight. To avoid mistakes and help New Yorkers prepare, the DMV has implemented several online tools such as a document guide and an online application pre-screening process. New Yorkers applying for a REAL ID are required to provide appropriate proof of residency, and proof of full legal name. There is no additional cost beyond the renewal fee to get a REAL ID.

New Yorkers who have not yet obtained a REAL ID and plan to fly domestically in the near future should remember the following tips:

• Show Up Early: You will be subject to an identity verification process, additional security screening and delays, so be sure to arrive at the airport well in advance of your flight.
• Bring your Passport: A US Passport is an acceptable substitute for a REAL ID, so if you have one, bring it.
• Don’t wait: Preparing for a trip is stressful enough, so don’t wait until the last minute to upgrade your ID. Make an appointment with DMV to get a REAL or Enhanced ID well in advance of your next flight.

For more information about REAL ID and Enhanced Driver Licenses, visit Enhanced or REAL ID and watch DMV's REAL ID instructional video on YouTube.

 

Comptroller Lander Uncovers Plummeting Tenant Representation in Housing Court as Adams Admin Fails to Meet Right-to-Counsel Mandate for Tenants Facing Eviction

 

Over three years, legal representation fell from 71% to 42% citywide; Bronx tenants faced disproportionate impact

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s new report, Evictions Up, Representation Down, finds that the Adams Administration has failed to meet the City’s Right to Counsel (RTC) mandate for low-income tenants facing eviction in Housing Court. Systemic underfunding, overwhelming caseloads, and state disinvestment caused representation rates to plummet from 71% in 2021 to 42% in 2024. For tenants in the Bronx, where evictions are overwhelmingly concentrated, representation dropped from 88% to 31%.

Legal representation in Housing Court is a tremendously successful strategy. In FY24, 89% of represented households avoided eviction. Despite New York City becoming the first jurisdiction to provide guaranteed legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction, failures by the Adams Administration have exposed thousands to housing insecurity and homelessness, as nearly 34,000 families have been evicted since 2022.

“The Right to Counsel for low-income tenants facing eviction was one of New York City’s great promises to keep families in their homes – but the Adams Administration has utterly failed to keep it,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “Since the pandemic, evictions have surged, especially in the Bronx. In the last administration, nearly all Bronx tenants facing eviction had a lawyer. Now, fewer than one-third of them do. Thousands of families have been evicted as a result.”

The RTC law guarantees full legal representation to tenants earning below 200% of the federal poverty line, approximately $53,300 for a family of three in 2025. The report highlights systemic failures, including inadequate funding for legal service providers, delayed case processing, and lack of proactive outreach to at-risk tenants. New York City’s landmark RTC legislation became a model for tenant organizers and housing advocates across the country and sparked a national movement. Since 2017, 5 states and 17 localities have enacted their own RTC laws that ensure low-income tenants facing eviction receive free legal services.

When comparing the high-water mark for tenant representation in late 2021, citywide overall representation dropped from 71% to 42%. For tenants in the Bronx representation dropped from 88% to 31%, Manhattan from 88% to 46%, Queens from 81% to 46%, Brooklyn from 55% to 50%. Staten Island saw an increase from 68% to 73%, though its peak representation of 84% occurred in 2022.

However, the end of the pandemic-era eviction moratorium in January 2021 triggered a 440% surge in eviction cases citywide which overwhelmed legal service providers. Nonprofits faced doubled caseloads alongside arduous staffing shortages. Housing attorneys providing guaranteed legal representation, now handle 50-80 cases annually, exceeding the recommended maximum of 48, which has led to inadequate representation and worse outcomes for New York tenants. Together with the issues created with under-resourced nonprofits, the report finds that staffing cuts at the Office of Civil Justice and the Human Resources Administration created preventable delays in the resolution of eviction proceedings.

The report also finds that the State of New York hinders New York City’s ability to protect tenants. During the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the State cuts its funding of the City’s shelter system plummeted from 47% to just 6% as of Fiscal Year 2024, putting enormous strain on the City’s budget to meet the State’s right to shelter mandate in Article XVII of the New York Constitution. In addition, the State does not provide funding for the Right to Counsel mandate, despite years of advocacy by tenants for a statewide expansion.

Key findings from the report include:

• RTC representation rates citywide dropped dramatically from 71% in FY 21 to 42% in FY 24.
• The City’s failure to meet the Right to Counsel mandate has exacerbated inequities as, the rate of representation in the Bronx, where evictions are overwhelmingly concentrated, has declined more precipitously than other boroughs, down from 81% in Q4 of 2021 to just 31% in Q4 of 2024.
• The Office of Civil Justice reported that 89% of tenants who received full legal representation in an eviction proceeding in FY 2024 were able to remain stably housed.
• After the eviction moratorium expired in January 2021, active eviction cases surged 440% citywide, from 33,000 to 177,000.
• Nonprofit legal service providers saw their caseloads more than double—from 33,000 households in FY2019 to 70,000 in FY2022—while funding and staffing lagged. With climbing eviction filings, increased case complexity, and inadequate funding, RTC providers struggled to meet growing demand, causing low rates of legal representation for low-income New Yorkers facing eviction in Housing Courts and leaving thousands of New Yorkers who are eligible for RTC without legal counsel.
• In 2022, attrition rates at legal service organizations ranged from 20-55%, a major blow to the legal community as housing courts reopened and citywide RTC expansion began. High staff turnovers have a negative effect on the provision of legal services.

Inaction from City Hall enabled to this representation crisis to disproportionately impact Black and Latine communities. Eviction filings are highest in neighborhoods with majority Black/Latine residents, particularly in the Bronx and Central Brooklyn. For every additional 1 percent of residents within a ZIP code who are either Black or Latine, the rate of eviction filings per 1,000 rental units was 0.69% higher.

The top 10 ZIP codes with the highest rate of filed evictions are all in the south and central Bronx. These neighborhoods with the highest eviction filings are experiencing the lowest rates of representation.

To address the continued insecurity for low-income tenants facing eviction, the Comptroller’s report recommends that the City:

• Develop and implement a strategic plan to fulfill the City’s RTC mandate, providing 100% of eligible low-income New Yorkers facing eviction with legal counsel over the next 5 years.

To deliver on the City’s RTC mandate, the City should:

• Reform RTC contracts to ensure legal service providers have the capacity to deliver on contract requirements.
• Increase case rates and adjust the Universal Access budget in dialogue with legal service providers, the Department of Social Services’ Human Resources Administration and Office of Civil Justice.
• Pay service providers on-time – In the midst of a growing funding crisis for the non-profit sector, the City should publish standards for timely payment of invoices and make efforts to streamline the billing and payment process to ensure a predictable flow of funds to vendors.
• Invest in programs that provide upstream solutions to prevent evictions and relieve the pressure on RTC providers.

To address these ongoing issues, the Comptroller recommends that in tandem with the City, the State should:

• Pass the Statewide Right to Counsel law and fund 50% of the cost of RTC for jurisdictions across the State, including New York City.
• Increase funding for HAVP in the 2027 budget to at least $250M.
• Reverse Cuomo-era budgeting that shifted the cost of single adult shelter onto the City, making $500 million more available for increased mental health services, better wages, and improved shelter conditions including expanding the number of purpose-built, smaller scale mental health shelters.

Read the full report: https://comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/evictions-up-representation-down.

Attorney General James Urges HUD to Continue Enforcing Requirements that Promote Fair Housing

 

18 AGs Oppose HUD’s New Rules Minimizing Fair Housing Requirements

New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to restore fair housing rules that require HUD and its grant recipients to support fair housing in communities across the country. In March 2025, HUD announced new interim rules that reduce the agency’s prior efforts to address housing segregation and promote integration by eliminating nearly all fair housing requirements for grant recipients, including some that had been in place for many years. In their comment letter, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the interim final rules violate HUD’s responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.

“It is a shame that the Trump administration is trying to walk back HUD’s responsibility to prevent housing discrimination in communities across our country,” said Attorney General James. “Fair housing requirements help address the harmful effects of housing segregation and ensure that everyone can access housing with dignity. HUD has a duty to protect fair housing, and I am proud to stand with my fellow attorneys general to hold them to account.”

Under the Fair Housing Act, HUD is statutorily required to administer programs that prevent discrimination in home sales or rentals and affirmatively further fair housing (AFFH), which includes taking specific and meaningful actions to promote integrated housing and combat the persistence of segregation in housing and its harmful effects. In 2021, HUD issued a rule requiring that all grantees certify their AFFH compliance prior to receiving any federal funding. HUD’s new interim final rule walks back this requirement, replaces robust rules with a weak AFFH certification process, and seeks to dismantle HUD’s prior AFFH rulemaking efforts. 

In their letter, the attorneys general argue that the new interim final rule is contrary to the text and purpose of the Fair Housing Act and the AFFH mandate, as it does not require grantees to meaningfully evaluate whether their actions will reduce segregation and promote integration, nor does it require any specific fair housing planning processes. Instead, it undermines efforts to promote fair housing and ignores HUD’s statutory requirement to affirmatively further fair housing. According to the attorneys general, the proposed rule lacks any factual basis for its drastic policy change and practically depletes HUD’s oversight to identify and address barriers to fair housing. 

This is the latest action taken by Attorney General James to protect access to fair housing. Last month, Attorney General James co-led a coalition of attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reinstate congressionally-appropriated funding for fair housing organizations in New York and across the country. In April, Attorney General James stopped two brothers and their spouses who own three rental buildings in the Capital Region from illegally denying housing opportunities to low-income renters. In February, Attorney General James announced $970,000 in grants to support and expand fair housing testing and enforcement in New York’s Capital Region. In August 2024, Attorney General James made Shamco Management Corp. pay $400,000 to low-income tenants in New York City for illegally denying housing opportunities. In February 2024, Attorney General James announced an agreement with real estate broker Pasquale Marciano and his companies to stop illegal policies that denied housing opportunities to low-income renters.

Joining Attorney General James in submitting the comment letter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

Three Individuals Charged in Scheme to Defraud Department of Veterans Affairs of Over $9.1M

 

Three men were charged with participating in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of over $9.1 million in education benefits, including funds from the Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefit program. One of the men has pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme.

According to court documents, Brian Matsudo, 58, of Honolulu, Hawaii, Marshall Scott, 39, of Kapolei, Hawaii, and Raheem Wells, 37, of Indianapolis, Indiana, conspired to defraud the VA. Matsudo was the owner of a massage therapy training school in Honolulu, Hawaii. From approximately November 2016 to November 2022, Matsudo conspired with Scott and others to obtain tuition assistance payments from the VA by intentionally failing to disclose that Matsudo’s massage training school was not in compliance with applicable VA rules and regulations.

As alleged in the indictment, Scott began working for the massage training school owned by Matsudo in or about November 2016. As part of the conspiracy, Scott submitted enrollment certification forms to the VA on behalf of at least 40 military veterans supposedly enrolled at the massage training school. Scott knew that these forms contained false enrollment information and falsely certified that the school had complied with applicable rules and regulations. Wells was a student at the massage training school in 2020 and 2021. From about May 2020 to November 2022, Wells and Scott recruited “students” who allowed the school to lie to the VA by falsely representing that they were actually enrolled in courses.

Both Scott and Wells allegedly profited from the scheme. Matsudo paid Scott for each person that he and Wells had recruited with the proceeds of the tuition payments made by the VA. Wells received monthly payments from the individuals he recruited to participate in the scheme.

In April 2025, Matsudo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Scott and Wells were both charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. Wells was also charged with obstruction of justice for instructing a witness to lie to federal law enforcement agents. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov of the VA Office of Inspector General (VA OIG); and Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office made the announcement.

The VA OIG and FBI are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorney Ariel Glasner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case against Matsudo, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Trial Attorney Glasner and Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case against Scott and Wells.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Protect Local Food in NYC - Support GrowNYC Emergency Fund

Dear Community—For over 50 years, GrowNYC’s programs have kept farmers farming, millions of New Yorkers fed, and communities nourished. But today, we face one of the most serious threats in our history and we need your help.

GrowNYC is currently facing a $2.3 million funding shortfall due to sweeping federal policy changes, frozen and cancelled grants, and anticipated cuts at both the state and city levels. Shifting national priorities are threatening critical food access and agriculture programs—not just in New York, but across the country.

The situation is worsening. The current federal budget proposal slashes billions from SNAP, emergency food, and social services. These programs are our nations first line of defense against hunger. SNAP alone helps more than 42 million in the U.S. people put food on the table.

These devastating cuts will increase hunger across the city, state, and country and put countless farmers out of business. Without intervention, we anticipate:

• Up to one-third of all GrowNYC markets may be forced to close

• Free support we provide to our regional farmers amid escalating climate-related disruptions and economic uncertainty may need to scale back.

• Free environmental and nutrition education GrowNYC provides to hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, older adults, and communities may need to cease.

• Free and affordable food we currently distribute may be cut off to community partners in need. Limiting access to fresh food for neighborhoods across the city.

The bottom line: Millions of New Yorkers rely on our programs to feed their families and farmers depend on them to thrive. We can't let these lifelines disappear.

That’s why we’ve launched the GrowNYC Emergency Fund to fight back! This fund will allow us to respond to any food system emergencies, enable us to maintain operations, and carry out strategic initiatives without interruption, including:

• Supporting farmers and providing purchasing incentives to customers at Greenmarkets most impacted by cuts to SNAP/EBT, the Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (WIC and Seniors), and Health Bucks.

• Sustaining our network of GrowNYC Farmstands in underserved neighborhoods. The GrowNYC-operated Farmstands offer produce sourced from New York State and other regional farmers, distributed through our Food Hub.

• Bolstering our partnerships with community-based organizations to deliver free, fresh food to neighborhoods struggling with food insecurity. This food is purchased directly from regional farmers and distributed via our Food Hub.

• Maintaining free nutrition and environmental education programs to students, families, and older adults.

What’s next: Please stand with us to ensure all New Yorkers have an opportunity to thrive by making a tax-deductible donation today.

 If you can’t donate, please take the following actions:

Take Action Now: SNAP, Medicaid, and essential social service programs are on the chopping block in the latest federal budget.

• Email your elected officials: Send a pre-written email to your legislators today and urge them to protect SNAP, emergency food, and services that keep New Yorkers fed and nourished.

• Call your members of congress and encourage your friends to do the same. Please use the steps and sample script below.

Weigh in with your Member of Congress 

1. Dial 202-224-3121.

2. If you do not know the name of your Congress Member, say, “I’m not sure.”

3. Say, “Representative.”

4. Say your zip code.

5. Confirm the Representative.

6. When connected with the office, you can leave a message with the staffer who answers or ask to be connected to the staffer who works on SNAP.

7. *Sample script: “Hi, my name is ____, and I am a constituent from Senator/Representative _____’s state/District calling to urge them to reject proposed cuts to the SNAP program. Grocery prices and hunger are increasing in the country. SNAP is a lifeline for 42 million people in the U.S., including families with children and older adults. I strongly urge the Senator/Member to protect access to this critical program and oppose cuts or harmful policy changes that would threaten people's ability to put food on the table. I want my Representative to speak out and vote against any cuts to SNAP.”

   *Be sure to share your personal story, letting them know why SNAP matters to you and your community, and the millions of Americans and farmers whose futures hang in the balance.