Advocates, elected officials, and impacted New Yorkers call for the end of collusion between local law enforcement and ICE and full investment in legal services funding to ensure due process and representation at this crucial time in our country
Albany, NY—Today, hundreds of immigrant rights advocates rallied at the State Capitol to urge state lawmakers to include funding and policy protections for immigrant New Yorkers in the FY26 budget and legislative session.
The New York Immigration Coalition led the rally alongside elected officials, dozens of member organizations and hundreds of advocates, calling on the legislature to pass the New York for All Act and the Access to Representation and BUILD Acts as part of the state budget. Advocates argued that with federal immigration enforcement intensifying, New York must provide concrete protections for immigrant communities.
NYIC and its partners called on state lawmakers to advance a legislative agenda that includes:
- Protecting immigrant communities from harmful federal immigration enforcement by passing New York for All (NY4A), which would ensure state and local law enforcement remain independent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Invest $175 million in legal services to secure equitable access to representation and ensure due process for all New Yorkers by passing the Access to Representation and BUILD Acts;
- Expand and strengthen language access services across the state through passage of the Language Access Act;
- Expand the NYS Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP); and
- Invest in a statewide Civic Engagement Infrastructure Fund that enhances census participation, ensures fair political representation, and promotes equitable budgets for immigrant communities.
“Immigrant New Yorkers are under attack, and silence or half-measures from the state are not an option,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “As federal policies tear families apart and fuel fear in our communities, New York must step up and lead. If state legislators are serious about keeping New York a beacon for immigrants, they must pass a budget and legislative package that delivers real protections, real resources, and real safety—so immigrant families and every New Yorker can live with dignity, stability, and without fear. The time to protect 19 million New Yorkers is now. It’s time to deliver for New York. ”
“While ICE abuses its power, New York must ensure access to a good legal defense," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “We must be uncompromising in defending New Yorkers against the heinous actions of the federal government and defend their constitutional rights.”
“Immigrant New Yorkers are living under unprecedented waves of federal attacks that are tearing families apart and pushing communities deeper into fear and instability. In this moment, access to an attorney can mean the difference between safety and deportation. The New York State Legislature must act with urgency this session by passing the Access to Representation and BUILD Acts, including a full $175 million investment for immigration legal services in the 2026 state budget to meet the historic surge in need. Albany must rise to the scale of this crisis and ensure every New Yorker has meaningful access to legal protection and dignity, and that no one is abandoned to a system that tears families apart and denies basic due process," said Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, District 39.
"What's happening in Minnesota and across the country makes clear: Trump's hardline deportation crackdown makes us all less safe," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes, District 26. "New Yorkers of all stripes want policies that make our state safer and more affordable for everyone, not a masked authoritarian force that roams the streets and tears apart families. My 'New York for All' Act builds trust between communities and the local government agencies that serve them. That trust leads to strong relationships and open communication—the real keys to public safety. It's past time to pass this bill and make unequivocally clear: New York stands with our immigrant neighbors, and New York is for all of us."