NY State Legislators Intro Bills To Halt ICE Detaining Immigrants At Courts

June 6th, 2018

AM Solages + Senator Alcantara’s bill requires ICE to obtain a warrant to arrest those in courthouses

NEW YORK, NY – On Monday, Assemblymember Michaelle Solages introduced The Protect Our Courts Act (A.11013), which requires ICE to obtain a federal warrant on civil immigration arrests in federal, criminal courthouses. Today, State Senator Marisol Alcantara introduced a same-as bill in the Senate.

According to the Immigrant Defense Project, there has been a 1,200% increase in courthouse arrests and attempted arrests in New York State from 2016 to 2017. Reported incidents jumped from 11 in 2016 to 144 in 2017.

In response, Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said:

“ICE's increasing presence in our courthouses is a Trump tactic to instill fear in immigrant communities - and it undermines the very integrity of our justice system. America will not be safer or greater if people cannot come forward to report crimes, bear witness at trial, and seek the protection of the law, for fear of deportation. New York State should require ICE to get nothing less than a full judicial warrant before they try to use our courts to do their dirty work. I applaud Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and State Senator Alcantara for introducing this vital bill and urge the Legislature to take action to ensure every New Yorker has equal access to justice.”