New York Immigration Coalition Returns to JFK to Fight For Immigrants

June 28th, 2017

Holds Press Availability at 10:30am at Terminal 4 parking lot

Additional Press Contacts:
Becky Stern, 516-581-5707, becky@pythiapublic.com
Daniel Altschuler, Make the Road 917-494-5922, daniel.altschuler@maketheroadny.org

Tomorrow, The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and Make the Road will be on the ground again at JFK airport, monitoring the effects of Trump’s revised Muslim and refugee ban. On Monday, the Supreme Court announced that it will review the challenge to Trump’s revised ban, and will keep the ban from taking effect for people who have a “bona fide” connection to the United States.

Since the original Muslim and refugee ban was issued five months ago, NYIC has seen officers with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State abuse their discretion and needlessly subject Muslim travelers to hours of questioning, handcuffing, interrogation and detention. NYIC is expecting these federal agencies to now struggle to define what a "bona fide relationship" means.

WHEN: THURSDAY, June 29th, 10:30am. WHERE: JFK Airport, Terminal 4 Arrivals, East Side by the garage structure.

WHO: New York Immigration Coalition and Make the Road.

WHAT: Press Availability w/ immigration experts monitoring the effects of Trump’s travel ban at JFK.

Background

In response to the enactment of Trump’s first Muslim and refugee ban, The New York Immigration Coalition led the #NoBanJFK movement, assisting travelers from over 20 countries and organizing hundreds of lawyers and volunteers. The protests at JFK sparked actions across the nation, including a rally held in Battery Park the next day, which drew over 30,000 people.

Tonight, at 7:30pm the New York Immigration Coalition and BAM will present a short film on the events at JFK at an event titled 48 Hours at JFK: What Now? Afterward, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Ahmed Ali Akbar, host of BuzzFeed’s "See Something Say Something" podcast.

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The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees.The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.