(Office of Assemblymember Dana Levenberg)
Much has been said recently about so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, referring to locations where local officials protect residents by limiting the collection and sharing of information about individuals’ immigration status. Those complaining about “sanctuary” the loudest are typically very quiet about the enormous amount of needless suffering our federal government is currently inflicting on those who come into contact with immigration enforcement – documented and undocumented immigrants alike, and even United States citizens. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed while documenting such actions. Other American citizens have found themselves in the crosshairs of ICE while simply traveling to work, like veteran George Retes, or on their way to a doctor’s appointment, like Aliya Rahman.
Federal leaders who criticize local jurisdictions for policies that protect immigrants are, first and foremost, deflecting blame for their own negligence. Under both political parties, the federal government has mismanaged immigration for decades, undermining our ability to benefit from one of our greatest strengths as a nation – our ability to attract newcomers.
America was built by people who came here from abroad — voluntarily and involuntarily — and each successive wave of migrants has contributed enormously to our culture and our economy. Both documented and undocumented immigrants pay taxes; in 2022, undocumented immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Immigrants typically take jobs that complement those of native-born Americans, which boosts our economy; reducing immigration undermines our economic prospects and does not benefit American workers.
We do ourselves a major disservice when we treat immigration as a problem instead of a gift to be harnessed. Immigrants commit crimes at far lower rates than native-born Americans, and as the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the country, ICE has all of the resources it needs to pursue the small percentage of immigrants who do commit crimes. However, it appears those resources are currently being misallocated. ICE agents have complained to outlets like the New York Post that the current quota-driven approach to immigration enforcement has led them to take their focus off of criminals, and direct it instead toward anyone they can get their hands on. The incompetence and cruelty boggles the mind; we have innocent people being locked up, while dangerous individuals roam free.
Public safety requires that all residents, regardless of immigration status, feel safe coming forward to report crimes. I continue to support passage of the New York for All Act because this legislation will help keep us safe from criminals and an increasingly tyrannical federal government. This legislation would require federal officers to produce judicial warrants and behave lawfully when conducting immigration enforcement, and to use their own resources rather than diverting local resources away from local issues.
Nothing in New York for All would prohibit law enforcement from investigating, detaining, executing a criminal judicial warrant, or taking any otherwise lawful action against a person under state criminal law. Moreover, New York, like every other state, already shares fingerprints with the federal government. Anyone arrested by local law enforcement already has their information shared federally. New York for All would not change that.
New York for All is not radical. It simply enshrines basic rule-of-law principles at a critical time. We cannot accept the current federal government’s refusal to behave lawfully; passing this legislation will make clear that we will not be complicit in the Trump administration’s repeated violations of human and civil rights.
We will all be better off when ICE resumes pursuing criminals instead of terrorizing easy targets. Nothing in New York for All would prevent that. We need this legislation now, to ensure safety and justice for all New Yorkers.