Press Releases

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 »

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 »

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 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 »

The Power of Collaboration

On December 31, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo granted two pardons, affirming that people should not have to bear the consequences of a criminal conviction for life. Alvaro “Khalil” Cumberbatch, one of the pardon recipients, is a long-time legal permanent resident who spent half of 2014 in immigration detention. While, the Obama Administration has publicly acknowledged the need to remove federal … Read more »

IDP Fights for Noncitizens’ Right to Challenge Unconstitutional Convictions

Several NY trial courts have held that a noncitizen must wait to bring a Padilla challenge to an unconstitutional conviction until the federal government has initiated removal proceedings. However, in that scenario, the noncitizen may be deported before the court decides whether the conviction is valid. Also, once removal proceedings commence, the noncitizen may suffer other harms such as prolonged … Read more »

Immigrant Justice Network new website on federal immigration reform

Immigrant Justice Network (IJN) recently launched a new website at www.immigrantjusticenetwork.org. This site includes resources on the immigration reform bills pending in Congress, including IJN’s analysis, talking points, fact sheets, action alerts, and stories of people impacted by our harsh immigration laws. IJN is a collaboration between the Immigrant Defense Project, the National Immigration Project and the Immigrant Legal Resource … Read more »

Press Release: Senate “Gang of 8” Immigration Bill Needs More Work to Ensure Fundamental Fairness for All Immigrants

For Immediate Release – April 18, 2013 Contact: Alisa Wellek, awellek[at]immigrantdefenseproject[dot]org 212.725.6421 917-727-8444 Senate “Gang of 8” Immigration Bill Needs More Work to Ensure Fundamental Fairness for All Immigrants Immigrant Justice Network applauds start of immigration debate PDF available here WASHINGTON, DC — The long-delayed congressional debate over vital immigration reform begins this week following the filing of a bipartisan … Read more »

IDP and Partner Groups Issue Statement of Principles for Immigration Reforms

As the White House and Congress considers reforms to the federal immigration system, the nation has an opportunity to address some of the system’s most unfair aspects and simultaneously resist new harmful provisions that immigrants and advocates would have to fight for decades to come. To help guide advocacy for a more humane immigration system toward fairness for all immigrants, … Read more »

IDP Joins NIP in Submitting Brief Arguing Against Retroactive Application of Deportation Relief Bar

On December 21, 2012, the IDP joined the National Immigration Project in submitting an amici “friend of the court” brief arguing that the federal government is wrong to apply retroactively the cancellation of removal eligibility “clock-stop” rule – enacted by Congress in 1996 – to pre-1996 criminal conduct.  Under the clock-stop rule, an applicant for cancellation of removal must show that he … Read more »

IDP Fights Against Government Overreaching in Drug Aggravated Felony Case Before Supreme Court

On October 10, the Supreme Court heard argument in Moncrieffe v. Holder, the third Supreme Court case in the last six years challenging the government’s overbroad readings of the harsh drug trafficking mandatory deportation ground. In this case, the immigrant petitioner challenges the government’s policy of deeming certain low-level marijuana offenses to be “drug trafficking” aggravated felonies even if the … Read more »

IDP Report on Detention and Deportation Practices in NYC

On July 23, 2012, IDP, along with New York University School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic and Families for Freedom, released “Insecure Communities, Devastated Families: New Data on Immigrant Detention and Deportation Practices in New York City.” In the wake of growing deportation programs such as the recently-activated “Secure Communities” initiative, this new report sheds light on the precise ways … Read more »

IDP Report on Judicial Obligations After Padilla v. Kentucky

Click here to download the report. The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) and the New York University (NYU) School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic have published a Report entitled Judicial Obligations after Padilla v. Kentucky: The Role of Judges in Upholding Defendants’ Rights to Advice About the Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions. The October 2011 Report is intended to help educate criminal … Read more »