There are moments in history when elected officials face a simple but profound choice: Stand with the vulnerable or stand aside.
New York’s legislative leaders now confront such a moment. With a federal administration attempting mass deportations and family separations, our state must decide whether to be complicit in cruelty or to build defenses for our immigrant neighbors.
When our state leaders return to Albany, they will have the chance to choose courage over convenience by passing three major pieces of legislation: the New York for All Act, the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act.
The New York for All Act (S.2235/A.3506) would stop New York from doing ICE’s dirty work. If enacted, the law would prevent state and local law enforcement from participating in civil immigration enforcement. It would also safeguard immigrants’ personal data and block law enforcement from funneling people into ICE custody.
Some will call this policy controversial. But consider what it would mean: A parent could take their child to school without fearing deportation. A worker could report wage theft without risking their family’s future. A victim of domestic violence could call 911 without the terror of ICE showing up at their door.
This isn’t just compassionate; it’s practical. The Major Cities Chiefs Association and even the New York State Police have recognized that entangling local law enforcement with immigration enforcement makes communities less safe. When people are too frightened to report crimes or cooperate with police, everyone suffers. Data consistently shows that crime rates are lower in jurisdictions that refuse to conspire with ICE.
It makes economic sense, too: Immigrants make up nearly 30% of the state’s workforce, including more than 60% of home health care workers and aides for the elderly. These are some of the most critical, hard-to-fill jobs in the state — jobs that must be protected to keep a reasonable quality of care for aging New Yorkers.
New Jersey, Washington, Illinois and California have already passed similar statewide policies. Cities across New York have enacted local “sanctuary” protections. It’s time for our state to join them with a consistent, comprehensive policy that protects every family regardless of where in New York they live.
More than 98,000 New Yorkers are currently fighting deportation without legal representation, many facing the nightmare of permanent family separation. The Access to Representation Act (S.141/A.270) and BUILD Act (S.4538/A.2689) would help them. Together, they propose a $175 million investment in immigration legal services. In addition to guaranteeing lawyers for every immigrant facing deportation, the funding would expand law school clinics, create loan forgiveness programs for immigration attorneys and build the infrastructure needed to provide universal representation. These investments wouldn’t be charity; they’d be an investment in justice that pays dividends to our communities and economy. Research shows this funding would generate a net benefit of $8.4 billion for federal, state and local governments
To New York’s elected officials, I ask: What will you tell your grandchildren when they ask what you did during this moment? Will you say you stood on the sidelines while families were torn apart? Will you explain that protecting vulnerable people seemed politically risky? Or will you be able to say: “I stood up. When fear and hatred threatened our neighbors, I chose to link arms with my neighbors rather than participate in persecution”?
The New York for All Act and robust investment in immigration legal services aren’t partisan issues; they’re human issues. They’re about whether New York will live up to its ideals or abandon them when they’re most tested. Our immigrant neighbors have waited long enough for federal lawmakers to fix a broken system. They cannot wait any longer for New York to decide whose side we’re on.
History is watching. Our neighbors are counting on us. And our humanity demands we act.
Murad Awawdeh is president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.