Despite the frigid cold, dozens of immigrant advocates showed up to rally support for four city council sanctuary laws, and hopefully end city agencies’ cooperation with federal law enforcement. This comes as the Trump administration ramps up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations across New York City and pauses immigration processing nationwide.
President Donald Trump recently issued an indefinite “hold” on all processing of immigration paperwork for people from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, and Venezuela, because of the shooting of two National Guard members in D.C. The hold stops green card applications, U.S. citizenship requests, prevents refugees and some others from getting or renewing work authorization, asylum applications, and delays ceremonies for naturalized American citizens.
“The Trump administration is using the recent shooting in D.C. as a pretext for a dangerous escalation of its attacks on immigrants that are rooted in racism and xenophobia,” said New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) President and CEO Murad Awawdeh in a statement. “Many of the immigrants affected by these policy changes have already undergone extensive vetting, often taking years, after having arrived in America seeking security, stability, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives.”
Meanwhile, several people were arrested in an unwarranted ICE raid on Canal Street in Manhattan on November 30. This led to protests and fights with local NYPD officers. Advocate groups have also reported ICE raids this December in Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island in which immigrant New Yorkers –– especially Black, Latino, and people of color — were targeted and detained by federal officials.
“We have seen New Yorkers violently kidnapped in the hundreds at regular court proceedings. We have seen people ripped from their homes, outside their schools, on streets, and beyond. Families have been torn apart. Students and children have disappeared from their classrooms,” said Alexa Avilés, who chairs the council’s immigration committee, at the rally on the steps of City Hall on Dec. 8. “We are standing together in solidarity, and we will continue to do everything in our power, not only to reject this fascist government, but to protect New York.”
Avilés was joined by fellow Councilmembers Tiffany Cabán, Shahana Hanif, Chi Ossé, Crystal Hudson, Carmen De La Rosa, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Advocate groups present included NYIC, Make the Road New York, ICE Out! NYC coalition, Shut Rikers Coalition, Common Cause, Immigrant Defense Project, Afghans For a Better Tomorrow, La Colmena, Bronx Defenders, African Communities Together, and Mixteca, among others.
“Despite the cold weather, I’m here today because I’m deeply troubled by the harm that is being done by ICE in our immigrant community,” said Make The Road Action’s Manuel Ordonez, who spoke in Spanish at the rally. “It pains me to see how much xenophobia has created false narratives about immigrants. We bring so much to this city. We bring our culture, our food, our dreams, our inspiration, and make New York City what it is.”
Their four bills included Int. 214 (or the NYC Trust Act), which makes it easier to file a lawsuit when a city agency illegally shares data with ICE; Int. 1268, which mandates signage on city property telling people about their sanctuary rights when engaging with federal authorities; Int. 1272 (or the PEMDAS Act), which aims to keep work authorization and E-Verify information safe from bad faith employers; and Int.1412 (or the Safer Sanctuary Act), which prevents a federal agency from setting up an office on NYC Department of Corrections property.
“I am a proud child of immigrants. A proud grandchild of immigrants. My family came to the US for an opportunity like so many others,” said Hudson, who supports the bills.
“Please know that Trump’s ICE is not just going to stop at disappearing and kidnapping immigrants. They’re coming for each and every single American who sees themselves as a threat to Donald Trump,” said Ossé.
At the council hearing of the Committee on Immigration later that day, Avilés, Cabán, and Hanif railed against Mayor Eric Adams and his administration’s violation of the city’s sanctuary laws. Several public defenders testified how the NYPD, the Department of Correction (DOC), and the Department of Probation (DOP) frequently collaborate with ICE in its deportation agenda.
“NYPD has worked with ICE on home raids, claiming they are part of joint task forces but resulting in people being arrested solely for civil immigration enforcement,” said Rosa Cohen Cruz, director of immigration policy for the Bronx Defenders. “The Department of Corrections allows ICE to walk into cells to take custody without a judicial warrant…We’ve often testified about the fact that DOC does what we call a ‘slow walk’ of our clients, where they delay administrative processes in order to buy time for ICE to arrive.”
They also slammed the Mayor’s officials that refused to testify at the hearing and didn’t send representatives even though they were present in the building. Cabán confronted the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) Commissioner Manny Castro in the lobby of City Hall and demanded he testify on his own. About two and a half hours into the hearing, Castro decided to follow through with a testimony in support of the bills. He had been instructed not to by the Mayor’s office, he said.
“As you know, it is up to City Hall as to who is to testify on their behalf at this hearing. This is why I choose to testify in my personal capacity as a longtime immigrants’ rights advocate, as someone who came to this country as a five-year-old, grew up undocumented in this city,” said Castro at the hearing. “It is important for me to be on the record in support of all these bills, and in support of all of you, in making sure that the City Council finally passes these laws that I long championed.”
The council members were collectively disappointed, but appreciated that Castro showed up to face their ire in person.
“You have chosen to work with an administration that has thrown our communities under the bus over, and over again,” said Avilés, in response to Castro. “And it took courage for you to come up here, because we’ve been talking about you, one hundred percent. And this mayor, who we both know, has allowed our communities to sit with inadequate services, with inadequate funding, and with an office — the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs — that is muzzled, and is not going full tilt to protect our communities, and work in collaboration with this council. This Office has been an utter disappointment during this difficult time.”