Proposed legislation would protect immigrant communities statewide
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Albany, NY—Today, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), member organizations, immigrant New Yorkers, elected officials, and allies rallied at the New York State Capitol to call for the urgent passage of the New York For All Act (A3506/S2235) during this Legislative Session.
The New York for All Act is landmark legislation that would prohibit state and local government agencies – including law enforcement – from colluding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sharing sensitive personal information, or allocating personnel and resources to aid in federal immigration enforcement efforts. By reinforcing the separation between local governance and federal immigration policy, the bill ensures that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, can access public services, care for their families, and participate in community life without fear. Additionally, the legislation preserves critical state and local resources for their intended use within New York’s diverse communities and blocks the use of taxpayer dollars to support a punitive, politically-driven immigration agenda.
The New York For All Act would be critical for maintaining public safety. When neighborhoods fear contact with law enforcement, crimes go unreported and actual criminals operate with impunity. New York For All would restore that essential trust by creating clear boundaries between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement, so that police could focus on their primary mission of keeping communities safe, rather than serving as immigration agents.
“As we quickly approach the end of the legislative session, we demand that our elected officials take urgent action to protect our immigrant neighbors and community members from ICE. We demand that New York State not be complicit in Trump's campaign of terror against our communities as ICE seizes our neighbors at court hearings, dropping their kids off at school, at their places of work or driving to a doctors office – separating families, gutting our communities, and damaging our economy. Our communities can not wait any longer for action from Albany. Now is the time to pass New York For All,” said Murad Awawdeh, CEO and President, New York Immigration Coalition.
“I’ve worked with our Common Council and partners across the state to turn our values into lasting policy. It’s time for the New York State Legislature and Governor to do the same by passing New York for All,” said Kamal Johnson, Mayor of Hudson New York.
I have witnessed first hand collusion between local and state law enforcement and ICE: New York State Troopers calling ICE on a victim of domestic violence; troopers, the DMV and Albany County Sheriffs and Cohoes Police Department setting up a seatbelt checkpoint with ICE in Cohoes just weeks ago; and myself being pulled over multiple times by ICE and local law enforcement without reason or charge. These rampant attacks on the lives and rights of our community must end. The legislature and governor has the power to stop this and choosing not to do so is an active chose to continue being complicit in Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda,” said Bryan MacCormack, Co-Executive Director, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement.
“We are a week out from the end of the legislative session and the legislature continues to sit idly by while New York immigrant communities are drowning under the cruelty of the Trump administration—we need them to take action NOW. ICE entanglement with state and local agencies enables the separation of families, irreparably harming our communities for generations to come. New York must stop being complicit - whether by colluding with ICE for all to see or by doing it behind closed doors, like New Yorkers who are funneled from state prison sentences to ICE, in an act of cruel double punishment. The legislature must intervene now by passing NY4All to protect New York families, anything less would be a failure,” said Linda Flor Brito, Senior Policy and Campaigns Organizer, Immigrant Defense Project.
“After seeing how ICE is treating and threatening our communities, my neighbors, my loved ones, my classmates, they are all sharing their fears of being ripped away from their homes and schools. Some of my classmates don't come to school anymore because they fear being deported. We all have heard about the case of Dylan, the Bronx student, who was detained when going to his check-in with ICE. He’s a student, a member of his community, and only two years older than I am. He posed no threat to the community, and he was taken from us in a callous and dehumanizing way. In solidarity with Dylan and to ensure that our communities across the state are protected, I’m urging the legislature to do the right thing and pass the New York for All bill now,” said Jax, High School Senior, Make the Road New York.
“State lawmakers can’t just do nothing as the Trump administration wreaks havoc on New York’s immigrant communities — they must pass the New York For All Act now. Between raiding workplaces, detaining children, and busting down people’s doors without a warrant, this anti-immigrant administration is hellbent on terrorizing New York’s immigrant communities. New Yorkers deserve to feel safe and protected — not watch the very people who are elected to keep them safe prioritize political interests over their wellbeing,” said Zach Ahmad, Senior Policy Counsel, New York Civil Liberties Union.
“With only one week left in the legislative session, New York cannot delay passage of the New for All Act to defend immigrant communities against federal attacks. President Trump’s mass anti-immigrant agenda is tearing families and communities apart as his administration increasingly detains and deports people in violation of their rights. New York for All prevents our state’s resources from supporting these cruel policies and instead ensures that families remain together, communities continue to grow, and everyone is safer. The legislature must act now and pass New York for All,” said Rosie Wang, Program Manager for the Advancing Universal Representation initiative, Vera Institute of Justice.
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The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy & advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York. The NYIC serves one of the largest and most diverse newcomer populations in the United States. The multi-racial and multi-sector NYIC membership base includes grassroots and nonprofit community organizations, religious and academic institutions, labor unions, as well as legal and socioeconomic justice organizations. The NYIC not only establishes a forum for immigrant groups to voice their concerns, but also provides a platform for collective action to drive positive social change. Since its founding in 1987, the NYIC has evolved into a powerful voice of advocacy by spearheading innovative policies, promoting and protecting the rights of immigrant communities, improving newcomer access to services, developing leadership and capacity, expanding civic participation, and mobilizing member groups to respond to the fluctuating needs of immigrant communities.