News

IDP Praises Relief for Immigrants, Urges Biden Administration to Minimize “Double Punishment” for Successful Implementation

June 20, 2024 IDP Praises Relief for Immigrants, Urges Biden Administration to Minimize “Double Punishment” for Successful Implementation   NEW YORK– The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) appreciates the incredible significance of President Biden’s announcement of executive action to bring relief to hundreds of thousands of people living in fear of deportation: specifically, qualifying undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and some young … Read more »

IDP Condemns Legislature’s Failure to Pass New York For All

June 10, 2024 ALBANY– The Immigrant Defense Project today condemned the New York State Legislature’s failure to pass the New York for All Act (A.5686 / S.987) during the legislative session, which would have protected immigrant communities and all New Yorkers by prohibiting local law enforcement and state agencies from conspiring with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border … Read more »

The Immigrant Defense Project Applauds the Governor’s Granting of Clemency for New Yorkers and Calls for Year-Round Clemency and Greater Transparency

June 3, 2024 On May 24 , Governor Kathy Hochul granted eleven pardons, some of those to immigrants who are deeply rooted in their communities in New York yet face immigration consequences because of their convictions. We applaud the Governor’s announcements to grant these pardons and to commute the sentences of two people incarcerated in New York.  One of the … Read more »

CLE Training: Collecting and Deciphering Criminal Documents In New York

Noncitizens often interact with other systems that impact their immigration situation. For noncitizens who have had contact with the police, determining what happened in their criminal case is a crucial step in understanding if and how it impacts their immigration matters. This course will walk you through the maze of mapping contact with the New York criminal legal system, collecting … Read more »

CLE Training: Crim-Imm 101: Understanding Immigration Status for Defense Attorneys

In 2010, the Supreme Court held that the 6th Amendment requires criminal defense attorneys to advise non-citizen clients about the immigration consequences that could arise from the decision to plead guilty or go to trial in Padilla v. Kentucky. The training will provide guidance for defense attorneys on gathering immigration information from clients to work with immigration counsel to understand … Read more »

2024 Seminar

Defending Immigrants Affected by Mass Incarceration is a CLE program that provides in-depth training on key topics in criminal-immigration law practice. Over two days, experienced immigration attorneys will provide training on new developments in case law that is key to providing high quality representation to immigrant with criminal legal system contacts. The program is designed to be useful and engaging … Read more »

Immigrant Rights Advocates Condemn Adams’s Attempts to Demonize Our Immigrant Communities

February 27, 2024 NEW YORK– The ICE Out NYC Coalition, a group of New York City immigrant rights organizations, today said Mayor Adams’s comments on rolling back the City’s sanctuary laws, which limit collusion between city agencies and federal immigration enforcement, are reckless, dangerous and unfairly vilify migrants for political gain.  At a community event in Brooklyn on Monday, the … Read more »

NY Advocates, Legislators Launch Justice Agenda to Provide Real Community Safety and Rights for All New Yorkers

January 18, 2024 ALBANY, NY –  New York State legislators joined over 120 human rights and social justice advocates, directly impacted community members, legal service providers, and faith leaders across New York State to launch the Justice Roadmap, a legislative agenda designed to address the deeply interconnected harms caused by the criminal legal and immigration systems and build community safety … Read more »

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

December 22, 2023 The Immigrant Defense Project has issued the following statement from Benita Jain, Supervising Attorney, in response to President Biden’s December 22, 2023 proclamation granting pardons to people convicted of simple possession of marijuana: President Biden’s announcement today to pardon federal and D.C.-based marijuana possession offenses is a disappointing partial step towards the marijuana justice that the communities … Read more »

CLE Training: Immigration Detainers in NYC: The Impact on State Criminal Cases

Immigration detainers are a key component of ICE’s detention-to-deportation pipeline.  An immigration detainer is an administrative request to state or local law enforcement to detain individuals who would otherwise be released, or notify ICE in advance of release, so that ICE can arrest the person. State and local law enforcement are not required to honor detainers but many do. ICE … Read more »

Walking in a Minter Wonderland: New York State “Narcotic Drug” convictions and Motions to Reopen or Reconsider after U.S. v. Minter

CLE Training: December 14, 2023, 2:00pm – 3:30pm (ET) On September 6, 2023, the Second Circuit issued a landmark decision in U.S. v. Minter, No. 21-3102, 2023 WL 5730084 (2d Cir. Sept. 6, 2023), which held that certain New York “Narcotic Drug” Convictions are not Aggravated Felonies or Offenses Relating to a Controlled Substance. The decision in Minter opens up exciting … Read more »

Advocates for Immigrant Survivors of Violence Urge Governor Hochul to Sign Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Bill Into Law

August 18, 2023 ALBANY, N.Y.— Over two dozen national and New York-based advocates for immigrant survivors of violence today called on Governor Hochul to sign the Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Act into law to offer critical protections for immigrant survivors of gender based violence in the criminal legal system. The bill is sponsored by Senator Kavanagh and Assemblymember … Read more »

CLE Training: Intro to the Immigration Consequences of Article 10 proceedings

Article 10 proceedings in New York State Family Court can create unique risks and complications for a noncitizen respondent. Actions taken in family court, such as admissions to non-citizen status, findings that the respondent has violated an order of protection, or findings of abuse and neglect, may lead directly to immigration consequences. This training is intended to provide introductory information … Read more »

Advocates Cheer Assembly Passage of Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers

The Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Act Would Strengthen Immigrants’ Constitutional Right to Receive Legal Advice in Criminal Court May 17, 2023 ALBANY, NY— Advocates applauded the Assembly’s passage today of the Fair Courts for Immigrant New Yorkers Act, a critical bill in Albany that will ensure that immigrant New Yorkers facing criminal charges get a clear notification that … Read more »

On International Workers’ Day, Unions and Worker Justice Groups Call for Passage of New York For All Act!

May 1, 2023 New York – Unions and worker justice organizations are joining the call for lawmakers in Albany to pass the New York for All Act, which would broadly prohibit local and state agencies from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in searching for, arresting and deporting immigrant New Yorkers. Twenty-five labor unions … Read more »