Despite Rampant ICE Crackdowns, Albany Fails Immigrants this Session

ALBANY, NY – After the New York State legislative session ended without passing a single bill to protect immigrant communities, the New York Civil Liberties Union released the following statement, attributable to Senior Policy Counsel Zach Ahmad:

“As ICE terrorizes New York’s immigrant communities, the New York Legislature’s shameful failure to pass a single bill protecting immigrants and those at risk of deportation is a stunning abdication of responsibility — and a gift to the Trump administration.

“Right now, immigrant New Yorkers are afraid to get groceries, go to work, and take their kids to school — and understandably so. Since Trump took office, ICE agents have stormed workplaces, ripped children from their homes, and detained tens of thousands of New York’s immigrants across our state. Through it all, New York lawmakers have stood by and watched.

“They had options. Lawmakers could have ended local law enforcement’s collaboration with ICE. They could have prohibited local jails from profiting off immigration detention. They could have guaranteed access to counsel for vulnerable immigrants, ramped up funding for legal services, or helped people facing deportation get a fair chance at clemency. Despite having the New York For All Act, Dignity Not Detention Act, and other bills at their fingertips, Albany lawmakers chose inaction.

“Our immigrant neighbors, friends, and loved ones are a backbone of New York’s culture, economy, and communities. They deserve strong, responsive state leadership — not cowardice, complicity, and indifference.”

###