NYIC Applauds Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order that Prohibits State Agencies from Inquiring About Immigration Status

September 15th, 2017

Today, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that prohibits state agencies and officers from inquiring about or disclosing an individual's immigration status.

Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition responds:

"This executive order is a forceful statement from Governor Cuomo that immigrants are not the enemy. Together with our partners across the state we have been dealing with the ongoing problem of state police coordinating with CBP and ICE, and we're grateful for the Governor's action. The Governor understands that it will not make New Yorkers safer when working people avoid law enforcement and state government for fear of deportation. We call on local law enforcement to follow the Governor's lead and look forward to working with the administration to successfully implement the order to best serve public safety and justice for all."

Thank you to our partners at the Worker Justice Center of NY, Worker Center of Central NY, and Migrant Support Services of Wayne County, and the Upstate Policing Project for their ongoing work on this issue.

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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.