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Albany, NY—Today, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), member organizations, allies, immigrant New Yorkers, and elected officials rallied on the 3rd Floor at the New York State Capitol, demanding immediate passage of the New York for All Act (A3506B/S2235B) in the 2026 New York State Legislative Session. With the state budget expected to be finalized in the coming days, advocates are calling on the Governor and the State Legislature to act now by passing the New York for All Act and deliver long-overdue protections for immigrant New Yorkers.
The New York for All Act would establish clear limits between state and local agencies and federal immigration enforcement, protecting access to essential services and ensuring immigrants can live and work without fear. The legislation also prevents both formal and informal collusion with federal immigration authorities and prohibits the use of state and local resources and taxpayer dollars to advance federal immigration crackdowns. While Governor Hochul recently introduced the “Local Cops, Local Crimes” Act, her proposal would only ban formal 287(g) agreements between local law enforcement and ICE – and those protections would expire after three years. New Yorkers should not have to rely on temporary protections or legislation with expiration dates. Amid escalating federal hostility toward immigrant communities, advocates and lawmakers call on Albany to take decisive action to safeguard all New Yorkers.
“Immigrants are the backbone of New York, and their safety and dignity are non-negotiable. ICE is waging a campaign of terror on immigrant New Yorkers, using intimidation and violence to tear apart families and destabilize communities – all with zero accountability. We cannot allow our state to be further complicit in this cruel federal deportation machine. New York tax dollars should never fund a violent, illegitimate federal agency like ICE. Albany must act immediately to ensure that not one more New Yorker is ripped away from their loved ones. The solution is clear: New York for All must pass now. Anything less leaves families exposed, endangers communities, and sends a message that New York will participate in this unacceptable violence against our neighbors. New York must stand for justice, dignity, and safety for all. Albany must pass New York For All now,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition.
“Our communities and our country are looking to us to meet this moment: to stand up for our immigrant neighbors, for democracy and for real public safety. My New York For All Act is how we do that. Half-measures are simply not enough when lives are at stake. We’re fighting for comprehensive legislation that prevents collusion with ICE, pushes back against President Trump’s authoritarianism and ensures true public safety for all New Yorkers. We need—and deserve—nothing less,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes, District 26.
“For far too long, ICE has relied on the collusion of law enforcement to scrutinize our essential hard-working immigrant communities of color,” said Assemblymember Karines Reyes, lead Assembly sponsor of the New York for All Act and Chair of the NYS Puerto Rican / Hispanic Task Force. “We must pass the New York for All Act to prevent ICE from using our local resources to wrongfully place people into their custody, separate families, and deport fellow New Yorkers. Our immigrant communities are over-policed and racially profiled to continue having a predatory federal agency prowling the streets. It's long over due to pass this bill. New Yorkers can't afford to wait any longer. New York for All must pass now,” said Assemblymember Karines Reyes, District 87.
“ICE has continuously escalated its violence over the past year. This is an agency that has gunned down and killed people on the street in broad daylight. Yet the State of New York is still shamefully helping ICE with its cruel operations. We must pass New York for All, in addition to bills like Dignity Not Detention, to prohibit our local and state government from supporting ICE's deadly efforts. New York has no business helping ICE as it tears families apart and murders people,” said State Senator Julia Salazar, District 18.
“Immigrant New Yorkers should not be forced to live between fear and uncertainty, or depend on protections that expire when politics shift. A just state does not use its agencies, its authority, or its taxpayer dollars to support policies rooted in cruelty and exclusion. The New York for All Act is more than sound policy — it is a moral test. And I remain committed to advancing this legislation with my colleagues, because if New York is to meet this moment with integrity, then we must act with urgency and affirm that dignity, safety, and belonging are rights, not conditions,” said State Senator Robert Jackson, District 31.
“I stand in support of the New York For All Act as a co-sponsor and as someone who cherishes human dignity. It has been well-documented that ICE detention is far too often a death sentence. Thirty-two people died in ICE detention last year and at least eight have died this year. There have been reports of beatings and medical neglect during ICE detention. No one should die or be brutalized in this country and certainly not in New York State as a result of their immigration status. And I firmly believe that New York State tax dollars should not be spent in support of this campaign of cruelty against our neighbors and families – especially in cases that are a matter of civil enforcement. We must uphold due process for all,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker, District 55.
“The New York for All Act is essential to protecting our immigrant communities and upholding the values that define Our Great State. This legislation sends a clear message: New York will remain a place where people of every background can live, work, and thrive. For me, this fight is deeply personal. I am the proud daughter of immigrants who came to this country believing in the American Dream. Through sacrifice and hard work, they built a future for our family and taught me that opportunity must be protected. We have a responsibility to keep that promise alive for the next generation. As New York State’s former Director of Immigration Affairs, I worked with immigrant families across our state and fought to remove the barriers standing in their way. I know their courage and I know their value to New York. New York for All will help ensure that every New Yorker can live with dignity and security. Together, we will pass this legislation and keep New York a place where opportunity belongs to all,” said Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, District 38.
“The winds blowing from Washington are chilly and chilling. New Yorkers deserve to live, work, and access services without fear that state and local resources will be used to aid lawless and unaccountable ICE agents. The New York for All Act will create clear boundaries between our communities and federal immigration agents, restoring trust in local law enforcement so they can focus on protecting and serving the people. I am grateful to the advocates who continue to raise their voices. Constitutionally and morally, New York For All must become law,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, District 52.
"As Chair of the Task Force on New Americans, I know firsthand how critical it is for our state to protect our communities from the fear and devastation that comes when ICE operates without limits. The legislature has an obligation to pass New York 4 All. NY4All shields vulnerable residents from unsafe partnerships between ICE and state agencies, and guarantees that every person in New York can access the critical services they are entitled to, no matter their immigration status. The time to act is now,” said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, District 57.
"Ripping apart families and forcing communities to live in fear is the antithesis of public safety. The depraved tactics of ICE have already infiltrated cities around the country, so we must act quickly to protect New Yorkers from this cruelty. Passage of New York for All will guarantee that our state's own resources will not be used to help Donald Trump carry out his reckless and barbaric immigration agenda,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, District 67.
“If the governor isn’t willing to protect New Yorkers from the onslaught of federal attacks on our communities the legislature must. Inaction has literally resulted in death. We demand protections with no exceptions. We demand NY4All,” said Bryan MacCormack, Co-Executive Director, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement.
“From the courthouse to the streets to the steps of the State Capitol, we are proud to stand with every person who calls New York home. If we as a state claim to care about all New Yorkers, we must ensure that protections from federal overreach apply to all, not just to some. We demand that those who represent us in the New York State legislature stand with all immigrant New Yorkers and pass New York for All now,” said Rosa Cohen-Cruz, Immigration Policy Director, The Bronx Defenders.
“The Governor and the legislature are actively failing immigrant families. Every day that passes without the critical protections in the New York for All Act, families across the state are being disappeared, detained, and deported by ICE – all while using NY resources and local tax dollars to carry out this terror. New Yorkers deserve better than words with empty promises from our NY leaders. The ever-growing list of collusion cases between law enforcement and ICE across the state should be a wakeup call for the Governor and leadership to take action to prohibit this terror from continuing. The inaction from our leaders to pass NY4All is putting New Yorkers lives at risk. The Governor and the legislature will either be remembered for cowering to the Trump administration’s lawlessness and abandoning immigrant families or for fulfilling their duty to protect the dignity, rights, and safety of all New Yorkers by passing New York for All,” said Linda Flor Brito, Senior Manager of Policy & Organizing, Immigrant Defense Project.