Park Slope, Gowanus, and Boerum Hill Power Outages

Please know that my office and I are working diligently to restore heat, hot water, and power for residents impacted by this weekend’s outage caused by a transformer vault fire.

Con Edison has advised that restoration will occur in stages due to the scale of the outage and recent severe weather. Some customers may see service restored later today (February 1), with additional areas coming back online tomorrow (February 2) as crews continue working around the clock. View the latest Con Edison power restoration updates on the Con Edison Outage Map.

We will continue to share updates on:

• Facebook: Council Member Shahana Hanif’s Facebook page

• X (formerly Twitter): Council Member Shahana Hanif’s X account

• Instagram: Council Member Shahana Hanif’s Instagram account

Need warmth, snacks, or a place to charge your phone?

A Warming Center is available at PS 133 (610 Baltic Street)

Has your car been towed?

Contact our office at [email protected] or call 718-499-1090. 

Lost food, perishables, or medication due to the outage?

You may be eligible to file a reimbursement claim. Claims must be submitted within 30 days

Additional Con Edison resources

• Con Edison Power Problems Brochure 

• Con Edison Life-Support Equipment &  Medical Emergencies Flyer

District Office Update: 

Due to broken heating, our office remains fully remote on Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3. We expect repairs to be completed and to return in person on Wednesday, February 4.   

While remote, you can reach us at [email protected] or (718) 499 - 1090 for any constituent concerns.

Dear John,

Across New York City––and across the country––immigrant communities are living through a moment of deep fear and uncertainty. Federal immigration enforcement has escalated in both scope and brutality, with devastating consequences. 

Last weekend, ICE agents brutally killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, an ICU nurse, when he intervened to protect a woman who was being pepper-sprayed. His killing, and the earlier killing of Renée Nicole Good, are horrifying reminders of what advocates have long warned: ICE operates with excessive force, minimal accountability, and profound disregard for human life. 

In moments like this, it is easy to feel powerless. But there are real, concrete ways we can act together to protect our neighbors and push back.

At the federal level: I authored a letter—co-signed by 41 members of the City Council—urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to block any appropriations bill that includes funding for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. I believe ICE must be defunded and ultimately abolished, and that this moment demands moral clarity from Democratic leadership.

You can help keep the pressure on by calling Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand and urging them to refuse any bill that funds ICE. Indivisible's phone numbers and sample call script for contacting senators makes it easy to take action. You can also read our full letter calling on senators to reject ICE funding, as well as City & State’s full coverage of this issue.

At the state level: We must pass Senator Gounardes’s New York for All Act, which would prohibit state and local agencies from collaborating with ICE for civil immigration enforcement. 

While Governor Hochul has spoken about standing up to Trump and protecting immigrants, she has not yet committed to signing this essential legislation. Contact Governor Hochul to sign this legislation by calling her office or submitting a message through the Governor of New York’s official contact form.

Here in District 39: Our office operates an immigration legal clinic (by appointment) with services available in Bangla and Spanish. 

If you or someone you know needs support, call (718) 499-1090 or email [email protected] to schedule an appointment. Please share this resource widely––we are here for our community. 

Last Thursday, the Council overrode former Mayor Adams’ veto of the Safer Sanctuary Act, authored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán. This law makes clear that federal immigration agencies cannot conduct immigration enforcement from city jail facilities––explicity barring them from setting up offices or operating on Rikers Island––and ensuring that sanctuary protections apply to all federal immigration enforcement agencies. 

That same day, I re-introduced my bill, the Trust Act, which would strengthen sanctuary laws by creating a private right of action—allowing individuals to sue a city agency if their sanctuary rights are violated. Enforcement matters, and this would finally give our laws teeth.

We also work closely with community organizations that are protesting, organizing, and supporting immigrant New Yorkers on the ground. If you are able to volunteer or show up in solidarity, there are many ways to get involved in District 39 and across the city.

What you can do in New York City:

• Attend a weekly vigil in Brooklyn or elsewhere in New York City, using Indivisible Brooklyn’s regularly updated list of vigils across NYC.

• Sign up to volunteer as an immigration court watcher with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ). As masked ICE agents seize New Yorkers at mandatory court appointments, court watchers help keep our neighbors safer. Shifts are available early mornings and late mornings, and people of all faiths are welcome. 

• Volunteer with or donate to faith institutions providing food, clothing, and legal support. The Interfaith Center maintains a list of soup kitchens, legal clinics, and coat drives.

• Canvass small businesses and distribute “Signs of Solidarity” and legal information with Indivisible Brooklyn. Sign up to canvass with Indivisible Brooklyn.

• For more opportunities, view Indivisible Brooklyn's full list of actions and campaigns, or subscribe to their newsletter for updates. 

You can also support partners in Minneapolis responding to recent violence and directly aiding immigrant neighbors:

• DHH Church Food Drive, delivering groceries to families unable to leave their homes

• Unidos MN, training legal observers and operating a 24/7 ICE hotline

• Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, providing legal support to detainees

Many of us are scared right now. And angry. I am, too. But history shows us that when we organize together, we can save lives and build power. 

Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. Stay connected. And remember––you are not alone in this fight.

Thursday, January 29th Stated Meeting: Recap

Last week, the Council overrode a record-breaking 17 vetoes by former Mayor Adams. These include two critical bills that deliver long-overdue justice for immigrant workers.

Uber and Lyft deactivation protections:

Drivers can no longer be instantly deactivated—losing their livelihoods—without due process. For years, app-based workers have been fired by algorithms with no explanation or appeal. This practice is inhumane, and now it’s illegal. Passing this bill required years of organizing by immigrant drivers and the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. It shouldn’t have been this hard—but we got it done.

Street vendor reform:

During his campaign, Mayor Mamdani highlighted how broken New York City’s street vendor licensing system is, including through his “Halalflation” campaign video on street vending and food costs. Today, some vendors have been stuck on the waitlist for more than a decade. With new licenses finally being issued, we are beginning to end a backlog that has stretched far too long—and to repair a system that has punished vendors instead of supporting them.

I also re-introduced several bills, including: 

• Intro 17, Ban the Scan, which protects New Yorkers from invasive biometric surveillance 

• Intro 172, requires annual reporting on Parks Department ADA compliance

• Intro 168, A bike safety bill developed with the Park Slope Civic Council requiring Citi Bike to clearly display rules of the road

Together, these bills advance a vision of New York City that is safer, more accessible, and more just. I look forward to continuing the work to pass them.

Constituent Corner

This week, our office has been in constant contact with city agencies to make sure heat is working, corners are shoveled, and bus stops are accessible. There’s still more to be done as DSNY continues clearing intersections, so please keep reporting issues to 311 and loop our office in so we can help push them along. 

Reminders: 

• Property owners on corners must shovel pedestrian paths to crosswalks—unshoveled curbs can be reported to 311.

• Alternate-side parking resumes Monday, February 2.

• As temperatures remain well below freezing, Code Blue remains in effect. During Code Blue, New Yorkers can call 311 for information about shelter, warming centers, and emergency assistance; Code Blue–related calls are routed to 911 so first responders can reach people quickly.

  
  

  Outreach teams are deployed citywide to connect people to shelter and lifesaving support, and all Department of Homeless Services facilities—including shelters, Safe Havens, stabilization beds, and drop-in centers—operate with an open-door policy and relaxed intake procedures.

  
  

  If you do not have shelter or sufficient heat, or if you see someone who is unsheltered, please call 311. View New York City’s regularly updated list of warming centers.

A win this week:

A Degraw Street resident reported flooding from a manhole that threatened utility freezing. Our office coordinated with Con Edison, National Grid, and DEP inspectors—who quickly responded, protected utilities, and mitigated the flooding.