Advocacy

Governor Hochul Pardons 9 New Yorkers Facing Harsh Immigration Consequences and Grants 4 Commutations

The time is now for the Governor to make good on her promise to exercise a historically underused executive power December 21, 2022 ALBANY, NY – Today, Governor Kathy Hochul granted 9 pardons to immigrants who have made significant contributions to New York, yet face severe immigration consequences because of their convictions. While we applaud the Governor’s announcements to grant … Read more »

Advocates Condemn Governor Hochul’s Veto of Court Notification Bill to Protect Immigrants’ Constitutional Rights

The Bill, Which Passed in June, Requires Judges to Notify Immigrant New Yorkers of Possible Immigration Consequences of Pleas in Criminal Court December 12, 2022 NEW YORK – Advocates today condemned Governor Hochul’s veto of the Court Notification Bill (S2903A/A9877A), which would have taken a critical step toward protecting the rights of immigrants facing criminal charges and ensuring a meaningful … Read more »

Immigrant Defense Project Calls on Biden to Extend Marijuana Pardon Protections to Immigrants

October 6, 2022 The Immigrant Defense Project has issued the following statement from Jane Shim, Senior Policy Attorney, in response to President Biden’s proclamation granting pardons to thousands of people convicted of simple possession of marijuana: “Marijuana prohibition has devastated poor communities and communities of color for too long, and President Biden’s decision to pardon some federal marijuana possession convictions … Read more »

Marijuana Justice Coalition on First-Ever Comprehensive Marijuana Reform Bill in the Senate

Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Builds Off House-passed MORE Act to Deschedule Marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and Begin Repairing Extensive Harms Caused by Prohibition July 21, 2022 Washington, D.C.—In response to Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Sens. Booker and Wyden today introducing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, members of the Marijuana Justice Coalition—a broad coalition of national … Read more »

New York Legislature Fails to Protect Immigrant Families with New York for All

The New York For All Coalition issues the following statement June 7, 2022 ALBANY, NY – The New York state legislative session concluded last week without lawmakers voting on the New York for All Act (S.03076/A.02328), key immigrants’ rights legislation that has wide support from elected officials, advocates, legal service providers, public health experts, and faith leaders throughout New York … Read more »

2022 Legislative Session Ends – IDP Celebrates Victories and Continues to Fight for Key Priorities

June 6, 2022 Albany, NY – During the 2022 legislative session, the Immigrant Defense Project continued its state advocacy work towards justice for all immigrants caught at the intersection of the immigration and criminal legal systems. Our legislative priorities included disentangling ICE policing in the state from local agencies, expanding procedural rights for immigrants in the criminal legal system, and … Read more »

IDP & Partners Cheer the Passage of Court Notification Bill

When signed by Gov. Hochul, the bill will strengthen immigrants’ constitutional right to receive legal advice in Criminal Court June 1, 2022 ALBANY, NY – New York is poised to strengthen much-needed constitutional protections for immigrants facing criminal charges after the State Assembly passed a bill mandating New Yorkers get notified of the possibility of immigration consequences. Advocates applauded the … Read more »

Advocates Call for Passage of Court Notification Bill after It Clears Assembly Codes Committee

Court Notifications Bill Would Strengthen Immigrants’ Constitutional Right to Receive Legal Advice in Criminal Court May 17, 2022 ALBANY, NY— Advocates applauded the advancement today of a critical bill in Albany that will ensure New Yorkers get accurate legal advice about immigration consequences if they are facing criminal charges. The New York State Assembly Codes Committee today passed the Court … Read more »

Immigrants Rights Advocates and Allies Demand NYS Legislature Keep NY Families Together After Passage of NYC Council Resolution

April 28, 2022 New York, NY-Today, the New York for All Coalition, allies, and immigrant New Yorkers celebrated the passage of a City Council resolution in support of the New York for All Act. The New York for All Act, currently pending in the New York State Legislature, would prohibit local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration … Read more »

IDP Celebrates House Passage of Legislation to End Federal Marijuana Prohibition

April 1, 2022 NEW YORK—Today the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, legislation that would deschedule and decriminalize cannabis, resentence federal convictions, and take a major step toward ending collateral consequences for cannabis-related activity, including immigration consequences. On the passage of the bill, Immigrant Defense Project’s (IDP) Supervising Attorney Benita Jain said, “For decades, … Read more »

IDP Statement: 170 Organizations Send Letter to DHS Secretary Defending Local Policies that Protect Immigrant Communities

March 29, 2022 Washington, D.C. – Scores of immigrant rights, community-based and legal advocacy organizations today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to reverse course on his attempts to undermine local policies that protect immigrant communities and urging him to follow through on promises to end existing programs that entangle localities with … Read more »

IDP Statement: NY Immigrant Rights Advocates Tell Gov Hochul: Don’t Roll Back Bail Reform

March 28, 2022 NEW YORK– Thirty immigrant rights community-based and legal advocacy organizations called on New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin not to proceed with their plan to rollback bail reform and warned that expanding criminalization and incarceration will increase harm to Black, Latinx and immigrant New Yorkers. The letter highlights the positive impacts that the … Read more »

Sen. Salazar, AM Reyes Announce Legislation to Keep State, Local Agencies from Conspiring with ICE

ALBANY – Senator Julia Salazar and Assembly Member Karines Reyes, joined by members of the immigrant advocacy, faith, and public health communities came together today to announce The New York for All Act, which prohibits state and local government officials, including police and sheriffs, from diverting personnel and resources or disclosing sensitive information to assist federal immigration enforcement. The New York for All … Read more »

IDP Statement on President Biden’s Executive Orders

February 2, 2021 As we awaken from the nightmare of Trump’s presidency, we are relieved to see President Biden responding to years of organizing against the racism and xenophobia that has fueled immigration policing, detention and deportation over the last four years.  President Biden’s executive orders on immigration represent an important acknowledgment that the current immigration system’s policies and practices … Read more »

Broken Windows Policing

The widespread criminalization of a wide range of activities through NYPD’s broken windows or quality-of-life policing practices has steadily driven up rates of arrests for violations and misdemeanors in New York City since the 1980s. Because the immigration system is extremely unforgiving, for non-citizens even a violation or misdemeanor can lead to detention and deportation. To help defend against these consequences and protect … Read more »

Strategic Research Initiatives

In this era of mass deportation, where immigrants with convictions have been singled out by DHS as a primary target for deportation, IDP works to develop and expand strategies to identify opportunities to expand rights within the criminal legal system. Working in close collaboration with allies, IDP researches multiple points of intervention — including local, state, and federal policy, as well … Read more »

Ending ICE/Police Entanglement: From Street Encounter to Custody

Background At the Street Encounter: Datasharing At Arrest: Fingerprint Data Sent to ICE In Custody: Training and Supporting Defenders In City Custody: Ending Collaboration Between ICE and Police and Jails In the Community: Ending ICE Arrests at the Home and Beyond Background The U.S. government today detains and deports noncitizens at historically unprecedented levels, and during the Obama administration, immigrants … Read more »

How ICE Interacts with the Criminal Legal System

The U.S. today detains and deports noncitizens at historically unprecedented levels, and immigrants with criminal convictions are one of the key targets for mass deportation. Harsh immigration laws passed in 1996 combined with a political climate that brands immigrants with convictions as a threat to public safety puts millions at risk of detention and deportation. IDP works to distangle immigration and the … Read more »