New York For All Act
Organizational Letter of Support for New York for All
Dear New York State Legislators:
We are a network of advocacy organizations, direct service providers, grassroots organizers, faith based groups and more that have come together to combat xenophobia and racism and to support immigrant New Yorkers. Some of us are immigrants ourselves or come from mixed status families.
We write to urge you to please do everything in your power to pass New York for All this legislative session.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Border Patrol (CBP) target, demonize, and demoralize immigrants and separate families. Many immigrant New Yorkers and their families live with fear in their everyday life. Fear that any interaction with local, state, or municipal entities– a traffic stop, attending school, or visiting a public hospital for care – could lead to being detained and torn away from their family. In fact, we have seen this happen right here in New York state to our community members.
Furthermore, when local agencies work with ICE, it leads not only to unconstitutional racial profiling, but also to the misuse of our local tax dollars and resources to serve the agenda of those who want to stoke fear and divide us.
The New York for All Act is part of the solution.
If passed, New York for All would prohibit all local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), or participating in its cruelty.
This is common sense legislation that protects the rights of immigrant New Yorkers and enhances public safety for everyone by ensuring state and local government employees across New York, including law enforcement officers, do not divert local resources to enable immigration enforcement. All New Yorkers benefit when state and local governments use their limited resources to serve their communities, rather than carrying out a federal immigration enforcement agenda.
The New York for All Act would prohibit state and local officers and employees from:
enforcing civil immigration law themselves,
sharing sensitive information with ICE or CBP,
allowing ICE or CBP to access public facilities without a judicial warrant,
entering into 287(g) agreements to deputize officers to work on behalf of ICE,
inquiring about a person’s immigration status, nationality, or country of origin,
using ICE or CBP as interpreters, and
allowing people in custody to be interviewed by ICE without notice of their rights.
Additionally, state agencies and local law enforcement agencies would also be required to record and report on their interactions with ICE and make annual reports public.
It’s time for New York to get out of the business of immigration enforcement.
All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, want to lead open lives, participate in their communities, provide for their family, and access health care without intimidation.
It’s time to pass New York for All.
Sincerely,
AFRICAN COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
Alianza Agrícola
Arab American Association of NY
The Bronx Defenders
Capital District Border Watch
Centro Corazon de Maria INC
Church Women United in New York State
El Puente de Williamsburg
Envision Freedom Fund
FWD.us
Her Justice
Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York Inc.
Justice Committee of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Albany
Justice for Migrant Families
Long Island Jobs with Justice
Long Island Immigrant Alliance
LSA Family Health Service
Make the Road NY
Mixteca
New York Civil Liberties Union
New York State Council of Churches
Northeast Dutchess Immigrant Services
NY02 Indivisible
OLA of Eastern Long Island
Ozkar Services
Rural Migrant Ministry, Inc
Rochester Rapid Response Network
Saratoga Immigration Coalition
Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas
Sisters of St, Joseph of Carondelet Albany
Sisters of ST. Joseph of Rochester
Stony Brook MSW Candidate
Surveillance Technology Oversight Project
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)
The Women’s Diversity Network
Vera Institute of Justice
Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY
We Are Not Afraid Community Resource Center
Worker Justice Center of New York